Sesko ruled out until January as Manchester United's striker crisis deepens

Benjamin Sesko will be sidelined until at least January with a shin injury, leaving Manchester United without a recognised striker for a minimum of two months.

The 23-year-old last played for United in the Carabao Cup defeat to Brighton on 16 September, after which he reported pain in his shin. The club has since been consulting specialists at Carrington to determine the best course of treatment.

It is the second time Sesko has been troubled by the same area. He missed the final three games of last season with a shin injury and then sat out the entirety of pre-season to recover. On that occasion, United opted for rest over surgery — a decision now under fresh scrutiny as the same problem has resurfaced.

Speaking ahead of United’s match against Como, manager Michael Carrick acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the striker’s condition. “We’re hoping soon that we have a clear picture,” Carrick said. “I’m not trying to delay it, hopefully by the end of the week we will have something clearer. There has been some work going on.”

Despite missing all of pre-season, Sesko had been eased back into action at the start of the campaign. He was named on the bench for the opening-day fixture against Hull and went on to make four substitute appearances in the league, as well as two starts — against Sabah in the Champions League and Brighton in the Carabao Cup. He scored from the bench against Everton in the league and added another goal when Sabah visited Old Trafford.

With Sesko now unavailable, United face a significant challenge in attack over the coming weeks, with no like-for-like replacement currently in the squad.