Manchester United's Early-Season Struggles Deepen with Sesko's Injury
Benjamin Sesko was nowhere to be seen at Craven Cottage, and that absence said plenty about Manchester United’s stuttering start to the season.
The Slovenian striker, expected to be a central figure in Michael Carrick’s evolving attack, did not even make the bench for Sunday’s draw with Fulham. His omission was not tactical. It was medical – and worryingly familiar.
Sesko felt discomfort in his shin after starting the 3-2 Carabao Cup defeat to Brighton in midweek, a flare-up of the same problem that already wrecked his summer. That injury had ruled the 23-year-old out of the final three games of last season and wiped out his entire pre-season, leaving United to build their campaign without a fully fit focal point up front.
This latest recurrence raises an uncomfortable question: how long can Carrick plan around a striker whose body keeps interrupting the script?
Carrick left waiting for answers
Carrick cut a measured but clearly frustrated figure when he faced the media after the Fulham game. He could not dress it up; the club simply does not yet know how serious the problem is.
“We’re not sure with Ben yet,” he said. “He felt a bit of pain after the game [against Brighton] so we’re assessing him. At the moment, he definitely wasn’t ready for [Fulham], so I haven’t really got any more news to give you at this point. We’ll have to see what that brings.”
No timeline. No guarantees. Just another key attacker in limbo at a time when United can least afford uncertainty.
Sesko has managed only six appearances in all competitions this season, his campaign effectively starting late with a substitute outing against Hull on the opening weekend. United, meanwhile, have stumbled out of the blocks: one win from their first five Premier League matches, the draw at Fulham adding another layer of frustration to an already fragile opening.
The absence of a fit, sharp centre-forward is not the only reason, but it is a glaring one.
Glimmers of good news amid the gloom
Craven Cottage did at least bring a couple of positives for Carrick and his staff.
Luke Shaw returned to the starting XI, a welcome sight for a side that has badly missed his balance and experience on the left. On the bench, £70 million summer signing Carlos Baleba was included in the matchday squad for the first time after recovering from an ankle problem.
“Luke coming back is good for the squad,” Carrick said before kick-off. “And having Carlos in the group for the first time... is important today.”
Those are building blocks, small steps towards the depth and flexibility United will need as the season tightens. Yet they sit alongside a growing injury list that refuses to ease.
Matthijs de Ligt travelled with the squad to London but was not fit enough to be considered for selection. Amad Diallo, once tipped to push hard for a more prominent role this term, is still waiting for his first appearance of the season.
United are not just short of rhythm. They are short of bodies.
International break offers time – but not clarity
Now comes a three-week international break that will either offer United a reset or test their resources even further.
The medical team finally has breathing space to run full assessments across the squad. Sesko’s situation sits near the top of that list. It remains unclear whether he will pull out of Slovenia duty, and any decision there will give a strong hint about how long Carrick might be without him.
Questions also hang over Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo, both doubts for England with ongoing fitness concerns. For a side already searching for fluency, the idea of more disruption to two of their most influential players is the last thing Carrick needs.
Yet this is the reality: United’s season is being shaped as much in the treatment room as on the pitch.
Brutal run awaits on return
When domestic football resumes, the margin for error shrinks quickly.
Tottenham visit Old Trafford on 10 October, a fixture that already feels like a test of United’s top-four credentials as much as their nerve. Soon after, Carrick’s side head to Spain for a high-stakes Champions League tie against Atletico Madrid, a club that thrives on punishing any sign of weakness.
Those games demand clarity, continuity, and a settled spine. Right now, United have none of that.
If Sesko is sidelined again for any significant period, Carrick will be forced to reconfigure his attack once more, leaning heavily on players whose own fitness is under scrutiny. The tactical plans drawn up in pre-season – already compromised by Sesko’s initial lay-off – may need a second rewrite before autumn has truly begun.
United have time over the break to regroup, to heal, to recalibrate. The real test comes when the whistle blows against Spurs and then Atletico.
By then, the question will be stark: are United ready to kick-start their season, or will another injury bulletin dictate the story yet again?
