Benjamin Sesko's Return to Manchester United: Pre-Season Update

Benjamin Sesko is on course to be back leading Manchester United’s line before the new season kicks off, easing early-summer nerves around Carrington.

The 23-year-old has sat out United’s opening pre-season friendlies against Wrexham and Rosenborg, still working through a tailored rehabilitation programme after a shin injury. He first picked up the problem late last season and then aggravated it in the 3-2 win over Liverpool on May 3 – a night that underlined his importance but also ended his campaign.

United never fully detailed the severity of the issue at the time, but the plan behind the scenes was clear: shut him down, fix it properly, and make sure he’s ready for August. Club sources at Carrington insist the recovery is exactly where they expected it to be and stress he was never pencilled in for those first two friendlies.

The result is a neat line in the calendar. The final three matches of last season, which Sesko missed, are still expected to be the only competitive fixtures he sits out because of this injury.

There has already been a visible step forward. The Slovenia international returned to outdoor training last week, moving out of the gym and back onto the grass. If his progress holds, he has a realistic chance of featuring against Atletico Madrid in Stockholm on Saturday – not necessarily from the start, but involved.

The bigger target lies a few days later. Sesko is likely to start when United face Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg on August 8, a fixture that should offer the first real glimpse of how the attack might look when the serious business begins. From Sweden, United head straight to Dublin for a six-day training camp, a block of work designed to harden fitness and sharpen combinations.

That trip includes a meeting with Leeds United at Croke Park on August 12, United’s penultimate friendly before the Premier League opener away to Hull City on August 22. By then, the expectation inside the club is that Sesko will be fully reintegrated and ready to lead the line.

His absence this month has opened a door for Joshua Zirkzee, who started against both Wrexham and Rosenborg. The irony is hard to miss: United would prefer to sell him.

Any sale, though, is complicated. United paid £36.5 million for Zirkzee in July 2024 and would need around £21m just to avoid taking a loss they are keen to sidestep. That price point makes a permanent move difficult and leaves a loan as the more realistic route. Interest from Italy has followed him throughout his time at Old Trafford, and a return to Serie A on a temporary deal remains the most likely outcome.

Behind all this sits a broader attacking plan. United want to bring in another striker to support Sesko and deepen a frontline that looked thin at times last season. The club, however, have pushed back on suggestions that they approached Danny Welbeck before Chelsea stepped in.

Welbeck, who scored 14 goals for Brighton last season, has long been open to the idea of a return to Old Trafford. The romance of a homecoming has hovered in the background for years. But Chelsea have now made their move for the 35-year-old, whose Brighton contract runs out next year, and the dynamic around his future has shifted towards west London.

For United, the picture is simpler. Get Sesko fit. Decide Zirkzee’s fate. Land the right support act. The shape of their season may depend on how quickly those three pieces fall into place.