Benjamin Sesko Set to Lead Manchester United Line
Benjamin Sesko is expected to be back leading Manchester United’s line by the time the real football starts – and, inside Carrington, nobody is panicking.
The 23-year-old has sat out United’s opening pre-season friendlies against Wrexham and Rosenborg, but that was always the plan rather than a late medical scare. He is working through a tailored rehabilitation programme after aggravating a shin problem in the 3-2 win over Liverpool on May 3, an injury he had been managing even before that game.
United kept the extent of the issue deliberately vague at the end of last season. In the end, the final three matches of that campaign – which Sesko missed – are still expected to be the only competitive fixtures he sits out because of it.
Now the picture is clearer. Sesko returned to outdoor work last week and has stepped up his training. There is a realistic chance he features in some capacity against Atletico Madrid in Stockholm on Saturday, a gentle reintroduction rather than a full-throttle return.
The real target is Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg on August 8. Barring a setback, Sesko is likely to start that game, a marquee friendly that should offer a sharper indication of his sharpness before United fly from Sweden to Dublin for a six-day training camp.
That camp leads into a high-profile meeting with Leeds United at Croke Park on August 12, United’s penultimate warm-up before the Premier League opener away to Hull City on August 22. The schedule has been built around having Sesko ready to lead the line when the points are on the table.
His absence in the early friendlies has opened a door for Joshua Zirkzee. The Dutch forward started against both Wrexham and Rosenborg, even though United would prefer to move him on if the right offer lands.
A permanent sale, though, is complicated. To avoid booking a loss on a player signed for £36.5 million in July 2024, United would need around £21m. Interest from Italy has never really gone away and a loan back to Serie A currently looks the most realistic route out.
Behind the scenes, United are still working on adding another striker to support Sesko. The club, however, has pushed back on suggestions that they made contact with Danny Welbeck before Chelsea stepped up their interest in the Brighton forward.
Welbeck, who scored 14 goals for Brighton last season, has long been open to the idea of a return to Old Trafford. The emotional pull is obvious, the narrative easy to write. But Chelsea have now made their move for the 35-year-old, whose contract at Brighton runs out next year.
So United press on with their own plans: Sesko being eased back towards full throttle, Zirkzee in the shop window, and the search for another forward continuing in the background as the countdown to Hull gathers pace.
