Top News

7 August 2026

Manchester United are preparing for their high-profile pre-season meeting with Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg on Saturday.

Michael Carrick has selected a 22-man travelling squad, with new arrival Youri Tielemans included for the first time alongside captain Bruno Fernandes.

But Benjamin Sesko was once again notably absent. The Slovenian had reportedly been expected to return in time for the match against the current European champions.

The 23-year-old aggravated a shin problem against Liverpool last season, which led to him missing the final three matches of the previous campaign.

The injury was not considered serious, and the former RB Leipzig star had been expected to make his comeback during pre-season. However, he is still yet to appear in a single match.

The striker has been seen at Carrington, but he has not yet taken part in full team training.

Manchester Evening News journalist Steven Railston has reported that the Slovenia international is increasing the intensity of his rehabilitation work.

The expectation remains that he will be ready for the beginning of the new season.

“Benjamin Sesko is still on track to be fit for the start of the season, so there’s no reason to panic. The striker has been stepping up his rehabilitation at Carrington,” the journalist wrote.

Even so, there is still no certainty over whether Benjamin Sesko will travel for the club’s training camp in the Republic of Ireland next week.

The whole situation appears slightly concerning, with supporters comparing it to the club’s handling of Matthijs de Ligt’s injury last season.

The Dutch defender had initially been expected to miss only one game, but he ultimately remained out for the final six months of the season. In Sesko’s case too, reports had suggested the issue was not especially serious. Yet the situation has dragged on.

United’s No.30 has now missed almost the entire pre-season, and even if he returns on schedule, he is likely to be lacking match sharpness.

It remains unclear whether the 6 ft 5 in centre-forward will feature in any pre-season fixture before the new campaign gets under way.