Manchester United Receives Fitness Boost with Sesko and Darlow Back
Manchester United head into the new Premier League season with a mixed medical bulletin – but crucially, two key absentees are back on the grass just in time for the curtain-raiser at Hull City.
Michael Carrick confirmed on Thursday that Benjamin Sesko and Karl Darlow have both returned to full training ahead of Saturday lunchtime’s trip to the MKM Stadium, offering a timely lift after a disrupted pre-season.
United rounded off their summer with a 4-2 defeat to Milan in Wroclaw, a game notable as much for who was missing as who played. Sesko, Darlow, Mason Mount, Matthijs de Ligt and Tom Heaton all sat out, while long-term absentee Manuel Ugarte continues his recovery from knee ligament surgery.
Now, on the eve of the new campaign, the picture is finally starting to clear.
Sesko back in the fold
United have had to do without Sesko for the entirety of pre-season. A shin problem that cut short his debut campaign in early May has kept the striker sidelined through the summer, after he initially tried to play through the pain last season before aggravating the injury in the win over Liverpool at Old Trafford.
This week, that wait ended.
“Ben [Sesko] is back training, so that's another positive,” Carrick said. “Looking forward to having him back around the group and getting him some minutes as well.”
His return gives Carrick an extra option at centre-forward just as the competitive action starts, even if his minutes are likely to be carefully managed in the opening weeks.
Darlow steps up as Heaton waits
In goal, the situation has flipped in the space of a fortnight.
Summer signing Darlow, brought in after leaving Leeds United, has yet to make his United debut following surgery at the end of last season. He still played for Leeds up to the end of his contract and featured for Wales in early June before being ruled out for the rest of the summer.
With Radek Vitek moving to Middlesbrough and Heaton also unavailable, Dermot Mee has recently been on the bench behind Senne Lammens. Now Darlow is ready to rejoin the fight.
“Karl has trained this week. He's back training, so he's in good shape,” Carrick confirmed.
That update arrives just as the club waits on a definitive diagnosis for Heaton. The 40-year-old picked up what looked an innocuous injury against Paris Saint-Germain two weeks ago, but the problem has turned out to be more serious than first thought.
Heaton faces at least a few weeks out, making Darlow’s return particularly significant. If he comes through the final sessions unscathed, the new signing is expected to be in the squad at Hull, likely taking Mee’s place among the substitutes.
Ugarte the long-term casualty
One player Carrick knows he will be without for some time is Manuel Ugarte.
The midfielder suffered a knee ligament injury while playing for Uruguay at this summer’s World Cup and has already undergone surgery. United confirmed the operation was successful and that he has now entered the rehabilitation phase, with the club’s medical and performance staff overseeing every step.
Ugarte has already spoken publicly about the setback, thanking both Uruguay and Manchester United for their support and vowing to return stronger. For now, he is the club’s only confirmed long-term absentee as the season kicks off.
Mount on the brink
Mount’s status is less clear – and more intriguing.
The midfielder has been out since limping off with a foot injury just 20 minutes into the 1-1 draw with PSG in Gothenburg earlier this month. Tyler Fletcher replaced him that night, and Mount has missed both subsequent friendlies.
Andrey Santos started alongside Fletcher against Leeds, with Youri Tielemans then coming in to partner Santos last weekend. Mount’s absence has forced Carrick to experiment, but the wait for his return may be almost over.
“We are managing Mason [Mount] a little bit, but he's very close,” Carrick said. “So it's touch-and-go for the weekend, really, if not going into next week.”
That leaves Mount in the classic opening-day grey area: fit enough to tempt, not quite clear enough to guarantee. Whether Carrick risks him at Hull or holds him back for the following week will say plenty about both the player’s condition and the manager’s appetite for early-season jeopardy.
De Ligt training – but not yet ready
At the back, there is cautious optimism around De Ligt.
The defender has been out since undergoing back surgery earlier this year, an operation that ruled him out of the final six months of last season. He is now back in full training and building up his fitness, but Carrick has already drawn a line through any chance of him featuring on opening weekend.
“Matt [De Ligt] has obviously been out for a long period of time, but he's training and great to have him back,” Carrick said. “Well, he won't be involved, but he's in good shape and moving in a good direction, so that's really a good bonus for us, really, at this stage, to have him back.”
His first appearance since late November will have to wait, though his presence on the training pitch offers a clear boost to a defensive unit that laboured at times last season.
Balancing act for Carrick at Hull
So Carrick heads to the MKM Stadium with one long-term absentee in Ugarte, one experienced goalkeeper in Heaton ruled out for several weeks, a marquee midfielder in Mount on the brink, and a major defensive signing in De Ligt not quite ready to return.
Against that, he can finally call on Sesko again and bring Darlow back into the matchday squad.
The decisions now move from the treatment room to the touchline. How bold will United be with their returning stars when the first points of the season are on the line in East Yorkshire?
