Slovenia expect Benjamin Sesko to miss duty as knee issue hits Man United

Andraz Sporar has admitted Slovenia do not expect Benjamin Sesko to report for international duty, confirming they will go without their first-choice striker. Manchester United are set to publish a medical update on Sesko’s knee later today. From what I have seen over years on the pitch, when a powerful runner suddenly drops out before a camp, it rarely screams minor knock. United fans are already pivoting to Joshua Zirkzee to carry the load, but this kind of disruption dents rhythm and confidence. Slovenia lose their reference point. United lose their punch. The timing could not be worse with the calendar tightening.

Comments from Slovenia’s camp ahead of the international window indicated Sesko would be absent. Behind the scenes, club and national team medical staff have been in contact while Manchester United prepare a formal knee update later today from Carrington. The situation unfolds on the eve of national-team call-ups and with United entering a congested stretch of fixtures.

🚨 BREAKING: Benjamin Sesko’s Slovenia strike partner, Andraž Šporar, says they don’t expect Sesko to report for international duty and “we will have to do without him.” Man United are expected to provide an update on his knee injury later today. [@ChrisWheelerDM]

@UtdXclusive

Impact Analysis

Let me be blunt from a rival’s perspective. This is a body blow for Manchester United. Sesko’s game is built on violent acceleration, long strides and near-post bursts. A knee complaint for that profile is not a two-day story. Even if the scan is kind, he will lose sharpness and that split-second confidence you only regain with weeks of clean training. United’s chance creation has leaned on early balls into the channel and aggressive transitions. Without Sesko’s vertical threat, full backs can push higher, centre backs hold their line and the midfield squeeze becomes suffocating.

For Slovenia, the cost is obvious. Sporar can run and combine, but the entire attacking pattern changes when you remove the aerial outlet and gravity of a striker who pins two defenders. Set pieces lose bite, the second-ball game shrinks, and counters lose the intimidation factor. I have seen dressing rooms sag when the focal point goes missing before a camp. Coaches talk bravery, but players feel the oxygen drop.

United’s dressing room will dress it up as opportunity for Zirkzee. Fine. He connects play, drops off and can roll a centre back. But you do not replace Sesko’s menace overnight. If United insist on scheduling mid-season travel or friendlies, that only compounds fatigue across the squad. Add one more soft-tissue issue in the forward line and the whole structure creaks. From where I sit, rivals will sense weakness and press the life out of United’s back line, knowing the out-ball has lost speed.

Reaction

Social chatter split fast. The optimistic crowd is already talking in bravado, with some United fans calling a Golden Boot charge once he is back. That is noise I have heard in every dressing room after a key injury. Others begged for caution, telling the club to let him rest, which at least sounds like people who have watched a recovery derail before. A chunk of the fanbase pivoted straight to Joshua Zirkzee, eager to see him start and shoulder the load. That is the sensible short-term play, but you can feel the anxiety between the lines.

There was also the usual distraction cycle. Some brought up United’s rumored mid-season friendlies in Saudi Arabia, wondering why the club would flirt with long-haul travel in a season already stuffed with fixtures. A few tried to drag the conversation into manager-loss stats or old debates about midfielders at rival clubs, classic timeline chaos when fans feel exposed. Strip it back and the tone is clear. Concern, a layer of forced swagger, and an uneasy acceptance that the attack just lost its pace-setter for a spell.

Social reactions

We hope it’s a positive one

GAVO 🔴⚽️🦅 (@Gavooo10)

Hope he’s okay though, time to see Zirkzee ball

ThatCryptoGuy 💙 ❤️ (@desmond35322)

we coming for the Golden Boot after recovery

KOBE MANU 🇮🇳 (@KingKobeManU)

Prediction

Based on how these knee stories tend to unfold, three paths stand out. First, the club call it irritation or a minor strain, and people relax. That still tends to be 3 to 4 weeks before a striker at Sesko’s power level trusts the joint in full contact again. You can jog in 10 days. You cannot explode past a centre back with real conviction inside a fortnight. Expect a managed return and a minutes cap if this is the outcome.

Second, scans show a small meniscal or ligament involvement without major structural damage. That becomes 6 to 8 weeks, with setbacks if swelling does not settle after initial loading. I have lived that cycle. You feel fine on Tuesday, the knee puffs on Friday, and the medical team drags you back into the gym for another seven days of patience. United’s fixture list would make this especially awkward, as rhythm evaporates.

Third, the club goes conservative with a longer rest and a tailored strength block. That looks like 8 to 10 weeks, sometimes 12 if they chase certainty. From a rival vantage point, that is the likeliest arc because United cannot afford a re-injury in spring. It also nudges them to lean harder on Zirkzee, get wingers attacking the half spaces, and perhaps elevate a youngster for bench depth. If recruitment wakes up, a short-term January option becomes a live conversation.

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Conclusion

I have seen title tilts wobble and cup runs fizzle the moment a team loses its straight-line threat. United will talk about collective responsibility and next-man-up. They have to. But football is cruel to sides that lose speed up top. Slovenia accept reality and move on. United must do the same and design around it. The right response is pragmatic and ugly. Compress distances, protect your centre backs, and feed Zirkzee in safe zones rather than asking him to mimic Sesko’s sprints that are not coming back tomorrow.

From a rival’s chair, I will say it plainly. This is where United often overpromise on timelines and underdeliver on freshness. If the update today is optimistic, pinch of salt. Strikers who depend on burst need time, and time is exactly what the calendar refuses to give. Lock in a cautious plan now or pay twice later. Either way, the rest of us will be waiting to test that back line the moment the out-ball slows. Harsh truth, but it is the truth I learned the hard way on cold nights when my own knee did not trust me.