Zirkzee poised for first United start as Sesko doubt clouds Tottenham clash

Joshua Zirkzee netted for the Netherlands in their 2-1 Nations League win over Serbia on Sunday and may now force manager Michael Carrick’s hand ahead of Manchester United’s Premier League home fixture against Tottenham Hotspur this Saturday.

Sesko has been sidelined since missing the draw at Fulham last month and did not feature in United’s behind-closed-doors friendly against Lausanne-Sport during the break. The Slovenian striker remains a major doubt for the Spurs game, leaving Carrick short of options through the middle.

Zirkzee has made four appearances for United this season — all from the bench — including cameo roles in the recent league matches against Fulham and Manchester City. The 25-year-old has yet to be named in a starting XI by Carrick in any competition, but an unavailable Sesko could open the door to his first league start at Old Trafford.

Matheus Cunha has also been deployed as a false nine this season and scored in the Fulham draw, though the results of that tactical experiment have been mixed. Should Sesko miss out, Carrick could opt to start Zirkzee as the central striker with Cunha shifting to the left.

The injury list stretches well beyond the striking department. Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo, and goalkeeper Karl Darlow all withdrew from international duty before the Nations League fixtures began. Concerns also surround the fitness of Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazraoui, while Matthijs de Ligt, Amad Diallo, Manuel Ugarte, and Tom Heaton were already absent before the break.