Benjamin Sesko Out as Manchester United Host Tottenham

Manchester United will be without Benjamin Sesko for Saturday’s home meeting with Tottenham after the £65m striker aggravated a shin complaint, leaving Michael Carrick with further selection problems as he seeks to lift a slow start to the campaign.

Key takeaways

• Sesko missed the 1-1 draw at Fulham and has also pulled out of the Slovenia squad.
• The forward’s current injury concerns the same general shin area as his problem last May, but is not a recurrence of the identical issue.
• Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo and Karl Darlow are already unavailable, while Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazraoui sustained knocks during the international window.
• Tottenham arrive at Old Trafford without a league win, but United’s depleted forward options add difficulty to the fixture.
• Summer recruit Carlos Baleba is nearing his first competitive appearance after an ankle injury.

Sesko timeline remains uncertain

Sesko first hurt his shin in the Liverpool match last May, an injury that prevented him from taking part in United’s entire pre-season programme. He returned in time to make six appearances at the beginning of the season and scored twice, before the latest setback ruled him out at Craven Cottage.

Carrick said the club were still assessing how long the striker could be sidelined. “It is a similar area, but it is not exactly the same issue,” he explained. “We are still working through it and trying to establish the length of it. Naturally, we hope it will be soon, but it is not clear at this stage.”

The head coach said United would consider the appropriate recovery route rather than assume rest alone would settle the problem. He stressed that Sesko had recovered well from the original injury after a lengthy spell out, but said physical issues can emerge unexpectedly and that the priority was to return the striker as quickly as possible.

His absence comes at an awkward moment for United, who need a result against a Tottenham side yet to win this season. Carrick must also account for the fresh fitness concerns involving Dorgu and Mazraoui, with Rashford, Mainoo and goalkeeper Darlow already on the casualty list.

Baleba moves closer to United debut

There was more encouraging news in midfield, where Carlos Baleba has resumed work on the training pitch following an ankle problem. The £70m signing from Brighton was named among the substitutes for the Fulham draw but did not feature, having missed important preparation time.

Baleba played some minutes in a training match last week, an important step as he builds fitness for his United debut. Carrick said the midfielder was “certainly getting closer” and that it had been valuable to see him training with the group.

United do not intend to rush the summer arrival, however. Carrick noted that Baleba missed the closing stages of pre-season and needs time to regain sharpness, with the coaching staff to decide when the timing is right. He added that the club are pleased with their midfield choices and believe Baleba will provide another useful option once fully ready.

With a busy autumn ahead, United will need to manage returning players carefully. Baleba’s eventual availability could strengthen the side in midfield, but Sesko’s unresolved issue leaves Carrick searching for solutions in attack against Tottenham and potentially in the matches that follow.