Manchester United’s preparations for Saturday’s trip to Chelsea have taken another difficult turn, adding to the challenges facing Michael Carrick as he attempts to steady a side struggling for consistency.
The latest development concerns one of United’s attacking options, whose prolonged absence has left the manager waiting for answers while the team searches for a way out of its poor run.
That player is Benjamin Sesko, who is now expected to remain sidelined until at least January because of a shin injury, according to BBC Sport.
The Slovenia international has not played since United’s 2–1 Carabao Cup defeat to Brighton on September 16, when he was substituted in the 66th minute after sustaining the injury.
The 23-year-old underwent several medical tests as the club tried to establish the cause of the problem. The latest examinations reportedly indicate an impact injury rather than the shin splints initially suspected.
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The issue is not entirely new. Sesko missed pre-season with a similar complaint, which also affected him last season and flared up in May, forcing him to miss the final three Premier League matches of that campaign.
Sesko’s absence comes at a particularly difficult time for United. The striker joined from RB Leipzig in August 2025 and had been expected to strengthen the team’s options through the middle.
His prolonged spell out leaves Carrick without his recognised central striker, increasing the pressure on the manager to find alternative solutions in attack. Sesko has scored twice this season, against Everton in the Premier League and Sabah FK in the Champions League.
United travel to Stamford Bridge amid growing scrutiny of Carrick following a 3–0 home defeat to Bournemouth. The club has retained him in charge for the immediate future, despite a run of eight matches without a win across all competitions, according to the supplied pre-match report.
Chelsea also have concerns of their own after a 2–0 defeat to Tottenham, but United’s attacking limitations could make Saturday’s meeting particularly challenging.
The visitors have also been monitoring the fitness of Kobbie Mainoo, Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford, according to the pre-match information supplied.
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With Sesko not expected back until at least January, Carrick faces the prospect of navigating a demanding run of fixtures without his specialist No. 9.
The immediate task is to find a solution before the trip to Chelsea, as United look to halt their slide and prevent another difficult week from deepening the pressure.
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