Manchester United expect to be without Benjamin Sessko until at least January, and the calf problem that ruined the end of his first season now threatens to swallow the first half of his second.
According to The Athletic, the club believe the 23-year-old needs rest to make sure the problem is fully healed. No decision has been made regarding the operation and United are confident that the matter will be resolved in due course.
Michael Carrick falls two days before Benjamin Seszko heads to Stamford Bridge for the game against Chelsea at 12.30pm on Saturday, which he will always miss. The difference now is the time frame and how that affects United’s plans for the winter.
Benjamin Seszko injury: how long is he out?
The latest word is January at the earliest. United’s medical staff have reportedly spent the last few weeks working with specialists on a treatment plan for the Slovenia international, and the result, at least so far, is rest rather than surgery.
This has been going on for months. Seszko missed the end of the 2025-26 campaign with the same calf problem and sat out the entire pre-season as a result.
He returned for a spell this term, playing six times in all competitions and scoring twice. But he has now missed United’s last six matches and reports from The Athletic suggest the run will be longer.
A frustrating sequel to a decent first season
Sesko’s debut campaign at Old Trafford went fairly well, scoring 12 goals in 32 appearances and many expected him to start in 2026-27. Instead, it was a stop-start fall spent mostly on the treatment table.
His absence shows in the scoring charts. Bruno Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo are United’s joint top scorers in all competitions with four each. Matheus Cunha has the same two as Sesko, Joshua Zirkzee, Shea Lacey, Mason Mount and Lisandro Martinez also chipped in.
Who replaces Sheshko in Chelsea vs Man United game?
Mbeumon is expected to continue in the middle at Stamford Bridge, as is the case with Sessko.
The rest of Carrick’s injury list is no better. Manuel Ugarte, Luke Shaw and Patrick Dorgu are definitely not with Sesko and Marcus Rashford was ruled out of training again on Wednesday as he tries to recover from a hip injury. He remains a major doubt, with Everton already linked with a January move for the forward.
Kobbie Mainoo lifts Carrick
There was good news on Wednesday morning. Kobbie Mainoo returned to training with his teammates after missing the last four matches with an unspecified injury and was thought to miss the Chelsea game as well. His availability suggests he could now be involved on Saturday.
Lisandro Martinez also returned to the picture after coming off the bench against Bournemouth on Sunday after recovering from a thigh injury.
Bruno Fernandes is set to return
Captain Fernandes is expected to return to the starting XI. He was an unused substitute against Bournemouth after criticizing Carrick’s tactics following the Champions League defeat to Como, but the pair reportedly held open-air talks and the situation was resolved.
Carrick, who kept his job despite the pressure, could still do with a reliable number 9. Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea go into Tuesday’s Carabao Cup clash at Anfield.
Does Sesko’s injury force him to sign a January striker?
I think it is necessary. According to Sports Mole, Zirkzee clearly does not have a long-term future at Manchester United and unless Seszko returns in early 2027, the club will definitely have to go shopping for a striker in the winter window.
Signing the right player at the right price in the middle of the season is never easy. But United relied on Mbeumo as a makeshift centre-forward for six matches and “at least January” is a stretch. With such a thin squad, how they manage the window could define their season.