Man Utd dealt major Benjamin Sesko injury blow as Michael Carrick admits return date for £65m striker is 'not clear'

Sesko was forced to sit out United’s recent 1-1 draw against Fulham after aggravating a nagging shin problem. The striker subsequently withdrew from Slovenia's international squad, joining Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo, and Karl Darlow on the treatment table.

The timing is terrible for a stuttering United side desperately looking to kick-start their campaign. They host a winless Tottenham on Saturday, but Carrick must navigate a growing absentee list. Defenders Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazraoui also picked up fresh knocks over the recent international break, further depleting the squad.

The £65m frontman initially damaged his shin against Liverpool last May. That issue cost him the entirety of United's pre-season schedule, though he managed to return and score twice in six early-season appearances. However, Carrick confirmed the current complaint is slightly different, ruling him out against Spurs and potentially beyond.

"It’s not the exact issue," Carrick explained. "It’s a similar area, but it’s not the exact same thing again. And we’re kind of still working through it a little bit of seeing how long the issue will be. We’re hoping that it’ll be soon, obviously, but at this moment it’s still not quite clear."

Asked whether the club will rely on rest before exploring alternative treatments, the United boss added: "Yeah, there’s different things to look at. I think he had recovered really well actually from the initial one, and there was a lot of time, and sometimes things get thrown up. The body does certain things, and we’ve got to react to that and try and get him back as quick as we can."

While United's attacking options look thin, there is positive news regarding summer signing Carlos Baleba. The £70m arrival from Brighton has been nursing an ankle injury and was an unused substitute at Craven Cottage, but he is finally closing in on a competitive debut.

"He’s certainly getting closer, Carlos," Carrick revealed. "It’s been great to have him out on the grass and to see him up close really. He played a little bit in a training game that we had last week, so that was good for him to get some minutes."

Carrick cautioned against rushing the midfielder, though, adding: "I think the other side of it a little bit, he has missed a lot, and he’s missed crucial time in terms of, you know, the end of pre-season. There’s a little bit of patience there for him to get up to speed. That’s up to us to kind of pick that right time for him as well, but he offers us a lot. I’ve said it before, the midfield that we’ve got we’re really happy with and the selections and the options that we have, and he definitely adds to that."

United must navigate their growing injury list to ignite a sluggish start to the season. Facing an out-of-form Tottenham side offers a vital opportunity to secure three points, but Carrick will need to find creative solutions in the final third without his star striker.

With Baleba poised to reinforce the midfield, the Red Devils have a solid platform to build upon. However, balancing the physical demands of returning players will be critical if United are to avoid further setbacks during a congested autumn schedule.