Šeško's Impact on Manchester United's Derby Selection
MANCHESTER, England — Manchester United strolled back into the UEFA Champions League on Thursday night, but Benjamin Šeško turned a routine win into a real dilemma for Michael Carrick.
Sabah FK, champions of Azerbaijan and rookies on this stage, barely laid a glove on United in a 4-0 defeat at Old Trafford. The visitors were outclassed. The contest felt over long before the final whistle. Yet the most important outcome for United wasn’t the scoreline. It was the sight of Šeško, sharp again, demanding a place in the starting XI for the Manchester derby.
Šeško’s timely surge
Šeško has had to bide his time. An injury in early May wiped out his preseason and left him watching from the bench as United opened their Premier League campaign against Hull City, Ipswich Town and Everton without him.
That wait is starting to look like a warning for whoever loses their place next.
A goal at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday earned him a start here. He didn’t waste it. Late in the first half, he latched on to a clever pass from Bryan Mbeumo, glided around the goalkeeper and rolled in his second goal in five days. Simple finish, ruthless timing.
He lasted 63 minutes before Carrick replaced him with Joshua Zirkzee. That change raised its own question. Is the 23-year-old still short of full fitness, or did Carrick decide he’d seen enough and wanted to keep something in reserve for City? The answer lands on Sunday.
"It's not an easy decision," Carrick admitted afterwards. "Of course it's not, but it's definitely one I'd prefer to have -- goals in the team and for the boys to be playing well.
"Sometimes it's going to be a start, sometimes it's going to be finishing the game, and we need that within the group from game to game over the season."
What’s clear is that Šeško has forced his way into the conversation. Now comes the hard part: who makes way?
A crowded attack, one painful choice
Carrick’s forward line is suddenly loaded with form players.
- Mbeumo, who set up Šeško’s goal, scored a brilliant solo effort against Everton.
- Matheus Cunha opened his account for the season against Sabah.
- Marcus Rashford, rested completely on Thursday, was United’s standout performer at Goodison Park.
If Šeško starts the derby, someone sits.
His advantage is obvious. He offers something the others don’t. As a true No. 9, he gives United a fixed point in attack, a natural target when the ball is worked wide, a presence that pins defenders back. Rashford, Cunha and Mbeumo can all threaten, but Šeško changes the shape of the attack.
He also earned Old Trafford’s appreciation without the ball. Early in the second half, he hunted down a Sabah defender, muscled him off possession and sparked a roar nearly as loud as the one for his goal. That kind of work rate sticks in a manager’s mind before a derby.
"He definitely offers a different kind of threat," Carrick said. "I think that's kind of the beauty of it. That we know what Ben gives us, and there's not many around that give you what Ben does in terms of his physique, his physicality, playing on the last line, his speed to run in behind. He's a real threat.
"It's great to have him back at this level after working to get back to fitness. So, a couple of goals and good performances, good minutes for him. We're really pleased with the way he's gone."
Šeško’s form is the sort of “problem” every coach wants. United’s head coach has a fit, confident centre-forward just as City loom into view. Now he has to decide whether he trusts him from the first whistle.
Dream return to Europe, nagging issues at the back
United’s own return to the Champions League could hardly have gone smoother. Back in the competition for the first time since 2023, they took apart a Sabah side founded only nine years ago. Four goals, a clean sheet, and barely a moment of jeopardy. It was exactly the kind of night Carrick would have scripted.
"It was what we set out to achieve, really," he said. "I think it was a good performance, individually, collectively, pretty much all the way through the game, from start to finish."
The scoreline gives him breathing room. His selection board does not.
While Šeško has eased one concern up front, Carrick’s problems on the left side of defence are growing. Luke Shaw started every Premier League game last season, but doubts over whether his body can handle the extra European workload have surfaced early.
On Sunday, Shaw left the 2-2 draw with Everton because of cramps. He then missed training at Carrington on Wednesday, officially chalked up as a "designated rest day." He wasn’t in the squad against Sabah and was given Thursday off as well. One absence in isolation is manageable. The lack of a clear, trusted deputy makes it far more awkward.
Patrick Dorgu, who covered at left-back and supplied the assist for Cunha’s opener, has mostly been used as a winger under Carrick. Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot can both switch to the left but are far more comfortable on the right. Harry Amass is a natural left-back but only 19. A summer move for Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall went nowhere.
Even in early September, Carrick is already juggling Shaw’s minutes, picking his moments and hoping the defender can get through the biggest games. The derby is exactly the sort of fixture he will want Shaw for.
Derby countdown
As if the selection puzzles weren’t enough, the calendar has not been kind. Enzo Maresca’s Manchester City have had two extra days to prepare for Sunday’s derby, a gap Carrick has already described as "wasn't ideal."
United at least walk into it with momentum. A comfortable Champions League win, goals spread around the team, and a centre-forward hitting stride at exactly the right time.
Šeško has done his part. Now the question hangs over Old Trafford: does Carrick dare leave him out against City?
