​Manchester United are optimistic that Benjamin Sesko will be available for the new season as the 23-year-old striker continues his recovery from an injury, according to a fresh report. After a relatively quiet start following his £74 million move from RB Leipzig last summer, Sesko surged into form around the turn of the year, though a change in the dugout played a more decisive role than a change in season.
Michael Carrick’s arrival, replacing Ruben Amorim who was dismissed after a heated clash with sporting director Jason Wilcox, proved transformative for the Slovenia international. Sesko often appeared uncertain under Amorim, a problem that seemed to affect nearly every member of the squad during the Portuguese manager’s turbulent tenure, with Bruno Fernandes being a notable exception. Although Sesko managed only substitute appearances in the early stages of Carrick’s interim period, he went on to score seven times in 13 appearances in the latter half of the campaign.Remarkably, this tally came in just 595 minutes of football, translating to a goal every 85 minutes—the best conversion rate in the Premier League at the time.
That rich vein of form was ultimately interrupted after the 6ft 5in forward aggravated an existing shin injury during the 3-2 victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford, when he was shoved off the pitch by Ibrahim Konaté. The win secured Champions League qualification, meaning Carrick and the staff were content to rest Sesko for the final three fixtures of the season rather than risk further damage. With the squad reporting to Carrington for pre-season training on Thursday morning, excluding those on World Cup duty, Sesko was conspicuously absent from the club’s release photos showing players on the grass.
The Sun, however, reports there is no cause for concern, stating United are “confident [he] will be fit for the start of the next season.” The Radeče-born forward is understood to be following an individually tailored rehabilitation program as part of his return to full fitness, gradually building up his workload to resume full training. With five weeks remaining until the opening league match on Saturday 22 against Hull City at the MKM Stadium, expectations are high that Sesko will lead the line for Carrick.
The Red Devils have five pre-season friendlies lined up to prepare for the campaign, including fixtures against Wrexham, Rosenborg, Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and Leeds United.