Manchester United Block Benjamin Sesko from Slovenia Duty Due to Injury

Manchester United have stepped in and shut the door on Benjamin Sesko’s latest international call-up, with the striker still battling the shin problem that wrecked the end of his last campaign.

The 23-year-old has been withdrawn from Slovenia’s squad for their upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures against Scotland (twice), North Macedonia and Switzerland, with United refusing to let him travel to have the injury assessed back home.

A stop-start season stalls again

Sesko’s shin pain ruled him out of the closing weeks of last season and then wiped out his entire pre-season. He only resurfaced as a substitute in the opening game of the 2026-27 Premier League season against Hull City, a brief cameo that was supposed to be the start of a steady reintegration.

Since then, it has been anything but straightforward.

He has two goals in six appearances for United this term, flashes of the penalty-box threat that persuaded the club to bring him in from RB Leipzig last summer. But his most recent outings have raised more questions than answers. He laboured through the EFL Cup tie against Brighton & Hove Albion, then disappeared from the squad entirely for Sunday’s Premier League meeting with Fulham.

The club has now drawn a firm line over his workload.

“Manchester United can confirm that Benjamin Sesko has withdrawn from the Slovenia squad ahead of the upcoming three-week international break,” read a statement from Old Trafford.

“The striker had been called up by head coach Bostjan Cesar for two games against Scotland, plus meetings with North Macedonia and Switzerland, but he will now no longer join the squad.

“Sesko last appeared in our Carabao Cup tie with Brighton & Hove Albion, but was absent from the matchday squad for our most recent encounter with Fulham. Benjamin will undergo tests this week before defining his individual recovery plan.”

Club vs country tension grows

Behind the formal language sits a growing tension. Sesko’s repeated absences from Slovenia duty since joining United have reportedly strained relations between the player’s club and his national setup, who had been expecting him to spearhead their Nations League campaign.

This time, United have gone a step further by not only keeping him out of competitive action but also blocking him from flying out to Slovenia for medical checks with the national team staff. The message is clear: his recovery will be handled in Manchester, on their terms.

Head coach Michael Carrick admitted the situation is still in flux.

“We’re not sure with Ben yet. He felt a bit of pain after the game, we’re assessing him,” Carrick told reporters.

“At the moment, he definitely wasn’t ready for today, so I haven’t really got any more news to give you at this point. We’ll have to see what that brings.”

United hope to have Sesko available for selection against Tottenham Hotspur on October 10, but that target remains just that – a hope, not a guarantee.

A talent still waiting to ignite

Sesko’s numbers in Manchester tell the story of a player hovering between promise and frustration. Since arriving from RB Leipzig last summer, he has scored 14 goals and supplied one assist in 38 appearances across all competitions. In the Premier League, the return stands at 12 goals and one assist in 34 matches.

The raw tools are there: height, movement, a clean strike. What has been missing is rhythm. Consistency. The kind of uninterrupted run that turns potential into something more permanent at Old Trafford.

United’s medical team now face a delicate balance. Push too hard, and the shin problem lingers into the heart of the season. Hold him back, and a forward still trying to establish himself risks losing even more ground in the pecking order.

Slovenia, meanwhile, go into a demanding Nations League schedule without their leading centre-forward, and with little clarity on when they will see him fully fit again.

For Sesko, the next few weeks will not be about goals or headlines. They will be about whether this shin issue becomes a footnote in his United story – or the injury that keeps his breakthrough on hold.