Where is Benjamin Sesko? Manchester United's Striker Dilemma

Manchester United’s season is barely out of first gear, and already one question is hanging over Old Trafford: where is Benjamin Sesko?

The Slovenian striker has yet to start a game this campaign, his progress stalled by a shin injury that wiped out his entire pre-season. While he’s been sidelined, Michael Carrick has turned to Matheus Cunha as his central striker against Hull City, Ipswich Town and Everton.

It hasn’t quite worked.

A Blunt Edge Through the Middle

Out wide, there’s been life. Bryan Mbuemo looks sharp. Marcus Rashford has started brightly. United’s attacks down the flanks carry threat and pace.

Through the middle, though, there’s a hole.

Cunha, signed from Wolves last year, has long been more comfortable drifting in from the left or operating between the lines. Leading the line as a traditional No.9 is not his natural game, and it shows. The runs aren’t the same. The presence isn’t the same. The penalty area doesn’t feel owned.

Sesko reminded everyone what that looks like at Everton. Coming off the bench, he attacked a Luke Shaw cross with exactly the kind of conviction United have been missing, thundering in a superb header. That should have been the decisive moment.

Instead, Ainsley Maitland-Niles struck late at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, and what could have been a statement away win dissolved into another nagging frustration.

Scholes Tears Into United’s Approach

Frustration has not been confined to the dressing room. On The Good, The Bad, and The Football, Paul Scholes did not hold back as he dissected United’s display against Everton and Carrick’s tactical calls.

“I felt it was really timid against Everton,” he said. “There was no aggression and Everton were there for the taking. There was so much space and they never went for the throat.”

Scholes didn’t dance around the issue. For him, the problem starts with the team sheet.

“The centre forward position is a bit of an issue because he is not playing Sesko,” he continued. “He is a focal point. It is very difficult to watch a Manchester United team without a centre forward. With Cunha, we don’t really know what he is, a No.10 or a wide player but he’s definitely not a No.9 and watching United without a No.9 is a struggle.”

In other words: United have a recognised striker, one who proved he can score, and he’s watching too much football from the bench.

Carrick Under Pressure as City Loom

The timing could hardly be worse for Carrick. Three league games have brought just four points from a possible nine. Not a crisis, but nowhere near the standard demanded at Old Trafford.

Across town, Enzo Maresca’s Manchester City are already moving with ominous rhythm. Three games, three wins, a perfect domestic start and the familiar sense that they can suffocate opponents without ever breaking stride.

That is the backdrop to Sunday’s Manchester derby. United, still searching for fluency and a cutting edge, against a City side that has hit the ground running. Carrick needs solutions, and he needs them quickly.

Sesko looks an obvious one. Under Carrick last season, he produced a goal every 85 minutes – a ruthless strike rate that underlines exactly why he is seen as a “focal point”. United do not just need a body up front; they need someone who lives inside the penalty area, occupies centre-backs, and turns half-chances into goals.

If you are trying to derail City’s momentum, leaving that kind of weapon holstered feels like a risk.

European Stage, Personal Trial

Before City arrive, there is another test. Sabah FK visit Old Trafford on Thursday in the Champions League, a European tie that suddenly carries extra intrigue.

For United, it is a chance to steady nerves and build rhythm before the derby. For Sesko, it could be much more.

This fixture offers the perfect platform for him to chase match fitness, sharpen his timing, and send a message his manager cannot ignore. One strong performance against the Azerbaijani side – the kind of dominant, penalty-box display that has become his calling card – and the debate over who should start up front against City becomes very simple.

Carrick has stuck with Cunha so far. The numbers from last season, the header at Everton, and the words of Scholes all point in another direction.

On Thursday night, Sesko may finally get the chance to drag that argument onto the pitch. The real question is whether Carrick will dare to leave him out again when City come to town.