Manchester United anticipate Benjamin Sesko will be out until at least January as he strives to recover fully from his shin injury.
The club’s medical team have been investigating the best course of treatment with specialists, and the 23-year-old is set to need more time to recover.
Sesko is healing well through rest, but the path to fitness is expected to take him into the New Year and he would also need time to get up to match sharpness.
The Slovenia international last played on September 16 when he started the Carabao Cup defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion. A week later United released a statement that said: “Benjamin will undergo tests this week before defining his individual recovery plan.”
The issue relates to the problem he suffered last season, when he got a kick to his shin but carried on playing the final two months of the campaign as United strived to qualify for the Champions League.
Sesko missed the final three matches of the season after being forced off against Liverpool following a push to the turf from Ibrahim Konate, causing a collision which exacerbated the issue. He had earlier scored to put United 2-0 up.
United at that stage decided rest was the best solution, rather than surgery, and he did not feature in pre-season as a result. The same dilemma arose again following a recurrence in a similar area of his leg.
It is not a chronic issue in any way, but all parties want him to be fully free when he returns so that there is next to no chance of a setback.
Sesko, who was in at Carrington frequently in June, pushed for a return in August, and he featured off the bench in the opening game at Hull City.
Before this issue Sesko has rarely been troubled by injuries. His time on the sidelines at United is already more than double in his entire career previously, which spanned six seasons before he moved to England.
According to Transfermarkt, he was out for a total 61 days across three muscle problems in the 2021-22 season at Red Bull Salzburg, while he has been unavailable for 154 days at United to date.
He is diligent with his health, practicing daily yoga, and his home includes a private gym, an ice bath, a swimming pool, and a sauna.
Sesko scored 12 goals for United last season, and he has two in six games so far this campaign.
