Benjamin Sesko was nowhere to be seen at Craven Cottage on Sunday, and for Manchester United that absence felt bigger than just one missing name on a teamsheet.
The Slovenian striker, who started the chaotic 3-2 Carabao Cup defeat to Brighton in midweek, was left out of the squad entirely for the Premier League draw with Fulham after suffering renewed discomfort in his shin. It is the same problem that already ripped a two‑month hole out of his year.
This is not a fresh knock. It is the old worry returning.
That initial injury wiped him out of the final three games of last season and cost him the whole of United’s pre-season. Just as he had begun to piece together some rhythm – six appearances across all competitions, a return as a substitute at Hull on the opening weekend – the cycle has broken again.
Carrick’s cautious wait
After the game, Michael Carrick cut a measured figure. There was no attempt to dress it up, but there was no clear roadmap either.
“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 assurances. Just another key attacker drifting into the grey area of “wait and see” at a time when United can least afford uncertainty.
Their 1-1 draw with Fulham leaves them with just one win from their opening five league fixtures. The attack still looks like a work in progress, and Sesko was supposed to be part of the solution, not another entry on an already swollen medical report.
Glimmers of good news
There were, at least, some shafts of light for Carrick in west London.
Luke Shaw, missing for long stretches in recent campaigns, returned to the starting XI and instantly gave United a more balanced feel down the left. The £70 million summer signing Carlos Baleba was also back in the matchday group for the first time, named on the bench after overcoming 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.”
Shaw’s presence restores a senior defender who understands both the club and the demands of the league. Baleba’s inclusion, even as an unused substitute, hints at midfield reinforcements that will be badly needed as the fixtures pile up.
Yet every step forward seems to come with a sideways shuffle.
Injuries piling up
Matthijs de Ligt travelled with the group to London but was not fit enough to make the matchday squad. Amad Diallo is still waiting for his first appearance of the season. Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo are nursing their own issues, both now doubts for England duty.
It leaves Carrick juggling a squad that looks strong on paper but fragile in reality. Availability, not just ability, is shaping his early-season choices.
Sesko’s situation now stretches beyond club level. With a three‑week international break looming, Slovenia will be watching closely. United’s medical staff must decide whether the striker can safely report for national-team duty or whether this is the moment to shut everything down and finally clear the problem.
United, for their part, could use every day of that break.
Three weeks to find answers
The pause in domestic football offers a rare window: time to scan, assess and reset. For Sesko, it may define how much of this season he can realistically influence. For Carrick, it is a chance to get Shaw fully up to speed, to push Baleba closer to competitive minutes, and to see whether De Ligt and Diallo can step out of the treatment room and into the rotation.
Because once the league resumes, the calendar shows no mercy.
Tottenham visit Old Trafford on 10 October in a fixture that already feels weighty for a side with one league win to its name. Then comes a trip to Spain and a high‑stakes Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid, the kind of hostile night that demands physical robustness and mental clarity.
By then, United will know whether Sesko is part of that picture or watching from the stands again, wondering how many times one shin can derail a season.
