Carrick plans friendly tune-up as Sesko receives Rooney apology amid United's slow start

Manchester United will use the international break to face Swiss side Lausanne-Sport in a behind-closed-doors friendly, giving manager Michael Carrick a rare chance to test his squad in a match environment before Premier League action resumes. The fixture, reported by The Telegraph, pits United against a club also owned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, with details of the venue and date yet to be confirmed.

The game comes at a critical moment for Carrick, whose side sit 12th in the Premier League after collecting just five points from five league games. United also exited the Carabao Cup before the international pause, leaving the manager searching for answers ahead of a home fixture against Tottenham Hotspur on 10 October.

Lausanne-Sport arrive in similarly troubled form. Luka Elsner’s side are bottom of the Swiss Super League, having won only one of their nine games this season, making the match a low-stakes but potentially useful exercise for both clubs.

Carrick’s preparations have been complicated by a growing injury list during the international break. Noussair Mazraoui was forced off in Morocco’s victory over Lesotho, joining Bruno Fernandes and Patrick Dorgu among United players who have picked up fitness concerns while on international duty.

Off the pitch, Wayne Rooney has issued a public apology to striker Benjamin Sesko after questioning the Slovenian’s willingness to play through pain. Sesko featured as a substitute in each of United’s first four league games before missing the draw with Fulham due to a shin problem — an absence that drew sharp words from the club’s record goalscorer on his podcast.

“If you’re trying to play No9 [for Man United] and you’ve got a must-win game and you’ve got a sore shin and you’re not playing… that’s a big part of the problem,” Rooney had said. “Unless you physically can’t play, you play when you’re injured.”

Rooney has since retracted that criticism, apologising to Sesko once the full extent of the injury became clearer. The 40-year-old’s reversal draws a line under a brief but pointed public exchange involving one of United’s key attacking options this season.