Šeško's Impact in Manchester United's Champions League Return

MANCHESTER, England — Manchester United eased back into the UEFA Champions League on Thursday night, but Michael Carrick walked away from a routine win with a very real problem on his hands.

Benjamin Šeško.

The Slovenian striker scored again in a 4-0 stroll against Sabah FK, backing up his goal at Everton on Sunday and planting himself firmly in the conversation for a start in the Manchester derby. United barely broke sweat against the champions of Azerbaijan. Šeško did enough to quicken the pulse anyway.

Šeško’s sharp reminder

His summer had been miserable. Injured in early May, he missed all of preseason, watched from the bench for the opening Premier League games against Hull City, Ipswich Town and Everton, and had to wait for a crack that finally came at Hill Dickinson Stadium. One goal there earned him a start here.

He treated it like a trial he had no intention of failing.

Late in the first half, Bryan Mbeumo slid a pass into space. Šeško darted through, rounded the goalkeeper with the calm of a striker who knows where the net is and rolled in his second goal in five days. Old Trafford liked the finish. It liked the intent even more.

He lasted 63 minutes before Carrick sent on Joshua Zirkzee. That change told its own story. Either the 23-year-old is still being nursed back towards full fitness, or his manager had already decided those legs might be needed from the first whistle against Manchester City. The answer lands on Sunday.

"It's not an easy decision," Carrick admitted. "Of course it's not, but it's definitely one I'd prefer to have -- goals in the team and for the boys to be playing well.

"Sometimes it's going to be a start, sometimes it's going to be finishing the game, and we need that within the group from game to game over the season."

Right now, Šeško is forcing the issue.

The derby dilemma

If he plays, someone else sits. That is the crux of Carrick’s headache.

Mbeumo lit up Goodison Park with a brilliant solo goal. Matheus Cunha finally opened his account for the season against Sabah. Marcus Rashford, who watched this one from the bench, was United’s standout performer last weekend. There is no obvious passenger to jettison.

What Šeško offers is something different. He is a true No. 9, a fixed point for United’s attacks, a target when the ball is slung into the box. He stretches the last line, runs in behind, and gives centre-backs a problem they cannot ignore.

He also grafts.

Shortly after halftime, he hunted down a Sabah defender, muscled him off the ball and turned a lost cause into a roar from the Stretford End that almost matched the one that greeted his goal. It was the kind of moment managers remember when they pick teams for derbies.

"He definitely offers a different kind of threat," Carrick said. "I think that's kind of the beauty of it. That we know what Ben gives us, and there's not many around that give you what Ben does in terms of his physique, his physicality, playing on the last line, his speed to run in behind. He's a real threat.

"It's great to have him back at this level after working to get back to fitness. So, a couple of goals and good performances, good minutes for him. We're really pleased with the way he's gone."

Šeško has done his part. The decision now rests with Carrick and the whiteboard.

A smooth Champions League return

Beyond the selection puzzle, the night delivered exactly what United needed from their Champions League return. Back in the competition for the first time since 2023, they dismantled a Sabah side founded only nine years ago, the gulf in experience and quality obvious from the opening minutes.

Four goals. A clean sheet. No drama.

"It was what we set out to achieve, really," Carrick said. "I think it was a good performance, individually, collectively, pretty much all the way through the game, from start to finish."

The sterner examinations will come later in the group. This was about rhythm, confidence and avoiding any nasty surprises. United ticked every box.

Shaw worry lingers

Not every question was answered, though. One of Carrick’s biggest concerns did not even step onto the pitch.

Luke Shaw, who started every Premier League game last season, is already testing the limits of his body with the added load of European football. The early signs are troubling. He went off with cramps in the 2-2 draw at Everton, then missed training at Carrington on Wednesday, officially put down as a "designated rest day." He was left out of the squad entirely against Sabah and given Thursday off as well.

That would be manageable with a clear deputy. United do not have one.

Patrick Dorgu, who filled in at left-back and supplied the cross for Cunha’s opener, has mainly been used as a winger under Carrick. Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot can switch sides but are far more comfortable on the right. Harry Amass is a natural left-back, but he is only 19. A summer move for Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall never materialised.

Even in early September, Carrick is already having to ration Shaw’s minutes. He needs the England defender fit for the derby, but need and reality do not always align across a long season.

Derby countdown

City will arrive fresher. Enzo Maresca’s side have been handed two extra days to prepare, a schedule Carrick has already described as "wasn't ideal." The margins in a Manchester derby are usually thin enough without one team enjoying a head start.

At least United walk into it with the wind at their backs. A comfortable Champions League win, goals spread around, no late scares. Šeško scored, ran, harried and left the pitch to warm applause.

Now the real question hangs in the air: has he done enough to lead the line when the champions come to town?