Manchester United Injury List Grows as Benjamin Sesko Withdraws
Manchester United’s injury list grew longer on Monday as Benjamin Sesko became the latest player to pull out of international duty, capping a bruising day of withdrawals for the club.
The 23-year-old striker missed Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Fulham with a shin problem picked up in last week’s Carabao Cup defeat to Brighton. That knock has now ruled him out of Slovenia’s upcoming Nations League double-header against Scotland, as well as further fixtures with North Macedonia and Switzerland.
United confirmed the news in a statement, saying Sesko has withdrawn from the Slovenia squad ahead of the three-week international break and will undergo tests this week before an individual recovery plan is agreed.
For Erik ten Hag, it is another unwelcome development at the end of a stuttering week. For Slovenia, it means going into a crucial block of games without their leading Premier League forward.
United’s casualties pile up
Sesko was not the only United player to step away from international duty. By the end of Monday, he was the fourth.
Goalkeeper Karl Darlow also left the Wales camp, despite being fit enough to take his place on the bench at Craven Cottage. His withdrawal added to a grim day for Craig Bellamy’s side, who also lost Leeds winger Harry Wilson to a quad injury and Wrexham striker Nathan Broadhead to a separate issue.
The problems do not stop there. Sesko and Darlow now join Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo on the early casualty list for this international window, after both pulled out of the England squad.
Rashford picked up what Michael Carrick described as an “issue” at Fulham, where he was substituted after appearing to struggle with his hip – an area that troubled him throughout the summer. Mainoo, who went to the World Cup under Thomas Tuchel but did not play a single minute, was also taken off late in the draw.
Four withdrawals. One international break barely underway. United’s medical department faces a busy few weeks, and the question now is simple: how much more can this squad absorb before the season’s demands really start to bite?
