Sesko and Darlow join Rashford and Mainoo as four United players withdraw from international duty

Manchester United’s injury crisis worsened on Monday as Benjamin Sesko became the fourth club player to withdraw from international duty, pulling out of Slovenia’s squad with the shin problem that kept him out of Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Fulham.

The 23-year-old striker sustained the injury during United’s Carabao Cup defeat to Brighton and will now miss Slovenia’s Nations League fixtures against Scotland, North Macedonia, and Switzerland. The club confirmed he will undergo tests this week before an individual recovery plan is defined.

Goalkeeper Karl Darlow also departed the Wales camp on Monday despite having been on the bench at Craven Cottage. His withdrawal compounded a difficult day for Craig Bellamy’s squad, which also lost Leeds midfielder Harry Wilson to a quad injury and Wrexham striker Nathan Broadhead to a separate problem.

Sesko and Darlow follow Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo in leaving their respective international setups early. Rashford was substituted at Fulham while appearing to struggle with a hip issue — a persistent complaint throughout the summer — with manager Michael Carrick confirming the forward had picked up an “issue” during the match. Mainoo was also withdrawn late in the same game.

The scale of United’s absentee list heading into the three-week international break raises fresh concerns over the squad’s fitness ahead of a demanding run of fixtures on their return.