Revealed: Benjamin Sesko still recovering from shin injury as Man Utd striker sits out first two pre-season fixtures

Sesko is firmly on schedule to return from a shin injury ahead of the new Premier League season. The 23-year-old striker missed United’s first two pre-season friendlies against Wrexham and Rosenborg as he continues to follow a strict rehabilitation programme. The Sun claims that his recovery is progressing perfectly to plan. Coaching staff never scheduled the Slovenia international to participate in those opening exhibition fixtures, choosing instead to focus entirely on his fitness.

Sesko was already managing a shin complaint before he aggravated the injury during United's thrilling 3-2 victory against Liverpool on May 3. The club remained notably vague about the severity of the issue at the time.

Consequently, the medical team decided to rest him for the final three games of last season. Fortunately for United, those late-season matches are expected to be the only competitive fixtures that the forward misses. The talented forward officially returned to outdoor training last week and is taking significant steps toward a full recovery.

Sesko’s time on the sidelines allowed Joshua Zirkzee to step up and start against both Wrexham and Rosenborg. The 25-year-old led the line despite United’s strong preference to sell him during the current transfer window. Securing a permanent sale is currently viewed as a long shot. The Red Devils would require a fee of around £21 million to avoid taking a financial loss on a player they signed for £36.5m in July 2024. However, a loan return to Serie A remains a highly likely outcome. Zirkzee has generated significant interest from a number of Italian clubs following a difficult spell in Manchester.

Sesko now has an outside chance of being involved when United face Atletico Madrid in Stockholm on Saturday. If he misses out, he is heavily tipped to start against Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg on August 8. Following the clash in Sweden, United will fly out to Dublin for a rigorous six-day training camp. They will then play Leeds United at Croke Park on August 12 in their penultimate friendly before the Premier League season begins against Hull City on August 22.