The Situation with Benjamin Sesko
Benjamin Sesko, the 22-year-old Slovenian striker, is currently missing several upcoming fixtures for his national team due to concerns over his fitness. This has led Slovenia’s manager, Bostjan Cesar, to question how Manchester United have managed the player’s health throughout the season.
Sesko had a promising first season with the Red Devils but ended it on a disappointing note as he sat out the final three games of the campaign due to an injury. His goal tally for the season was 12 in 32 games across all competitions, which included some crucial contributions, such as scoring winning goals against Fulham and Everton in February.
More recently, Sesko found the back of the net again earlier this month against Liverpool, but he was taken off at half-time during the game at Old Trafford. Manchester United manager Michael Carrick later confirmed that this was due to a painful blow to an ongoing shin injury. After that, Sesko did not feature in any more games for the club this season.
Manager’s Concerns About Fitness Management
Cesar has now expressed his concerns about how Manchester United have handled Sesko’s fitness, suggesting that the striker has been played when he wasn’t near full fitness.
‘He missed the last assembly in March and then I kind of wanted him to be absent from United for a while, but then he came back quickly and I don’t think he missed a game for the club,’ said the Slovenia manager ahead of friendlies against Cyprus and Croatia.
He added: ‘But if a player hasn’t been in a competitive rhythm for a month, then I don’t see the point in him coming and playing at half-strength.’
Cesar also highlighted that in cases of injuries, the national team receives all the documentation, and then they decide together with their doctors what is best.
Manchester United’s Response
Speaking ahead of the goalless draw with Sunderland, which followed a 3-2 victory over Liverpool, Carrick mentioned that Sesko has been carrying a shin problem for some time. He added, ‘He took another quite a big bang on it, obviously he had to come off last week, so he wasn’t ready today.’
Slovenia’s World Cup Campaign
Slovenia are not participating in this summer’s World Cup after failing to qualify, finishing third in their group behind Switzerland and Kosovo. Their campaign saw them score just three goals in their six games, with no wins recorded.
Despite this, Sesko has made a significant impact for his country, scoring 16 goals in 45 caps. He will be hoping to return to international action in September when Slovenia’s Nations League campaign starts against Scotland.
A Positive Turn for Sesko
Sesko found his goal-scoring form when Michael Carrick took interim charge of Manchester United in January, and he will be pleased to see Carrick take the job on a permanent basis.
‘He’s an amazing coach,’ Sesko said of the Englishman. ‘He’s brought different energy and also the way we’re doing the training is unbelievable. I would like to have him here.’
Looking Ahead
As the football world continues to watch Sesko’s progress, both at the club and international levels, there is hope that he can recover fully and make a strong return to action. His performances and potential have drawn attention, and fans are eager to see how he will perform in the upcoming seasons.
