Imagine the sheer frustration at Old Trafford: Manchester United's star striker, Benjamin Sesko, is still sidelined, and now an unexpected twist has pushed back his eagerly awaited return even further. It's a tough blow for the team and their new manager, Ruben Amorim, especially with a packed schedule looming. But here's where it gets controversial – could this delay be more than just bad luck, and does it highlight deeper issues in how the club handles player recoveries? Let's dive into the details and explore what this means for United's season.
AFP
12 Dec 2025 21:21+01:00
The ongoing absence of Benjamin Sesko due to his injury is proving to be a major setback for Manchester United and head coach Ruben Amorim. The Slovenian forward, who joined the club in the summer for a whopping £74 million ($98.8 million) from RB Leipzig, has been out of action since early November after picking up a knee injury during the match against Tottenham Hotspur. While early reports suggested a relatively quick turnaround, Amorim recently shared some disappointing news about the latest hurdle in Sesko's recovery.
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A frustrating development for the United manager
Amorim explained that the talented striker has recently battled a bout of food poisoning, which means his comeback will be delayed beyond the initial expectations. Sesko's presence has been sorely missed, particularly because United are also set to be without key attackers like Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo, who will be away representing their countries at the Africa Cup of Nations (a major international tournament for African nations, which can disrupt club teams by pulling away players for several weeks). This leaves the squad stretched thin in the attacking department, putting extra strain on other forwards such as Joshua Zirkzee and Matheus Cunha. To make matters more interesting, Sesko's agent, Elvis Basanovic, has revealed that the player is growing increasingly impatient to make his return.
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Amorim: 'We have to wait and see'
In a press conference before Monday's match against Bournemouth, Amorim commented on the situation, saying: "(Harry) Maguire is out, (Matthijs) De Ligt is out, Ben (Sesko) we have to see. We have to see if he's available, he has some food poisoning but let's wait, we have two training sessions still." This cautious approach underscores the uncertainty, and for beginners in football, it's worth noting that 'we have to see' is a common phrase coaches use when a player's fitness isn't guaranteed, often to avoid raising false hopes.
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Sesko's agent: 'He'll be back on the pitch in no time'
Earlier this week, Sesko’s agent Basanovic spoke to Slovenian broadcaster Arena Sport, offering an optimistic update: "Benjamin feels very good, his rehabilitation is going according to plan. He can’t wait to get back on the pitch. He’s missing matches, he’s a little impatient and we hope that he will return soon, to be where he feels best again. It’s hard to say exactly (when he will return), it will ultimately be decided by the medical service and the coach. I think we will see him on the pitch very soon. Maybe sooner than it seems at the moment."
Regarding Sesko’s rapport with manager Amorim, Basanovic added positively: “I must say he (Amorim) received Benjamin excellently. I think Ruben is first of all, an excellent person with fantastic charisma, extremely intelligent, emotionally intelligent and I think he knows what he’s doing. I believe he’s in a difficult situation. It’s not easy to build such a project that requires enormous knowledge and amount of time. United is one of the biggest clubs in the world, if not the biggest and people don’t understand you need time. But I think every team being built needs time. Just look at [Matheus] Cunha, Mbeumo and Sesko: they have played very few matches together.
"And this is the part most people miss – they especially need games and they need to develop certain automatisms because then it’s much easier. When you have these automatisms, you don’t need to think where a player is or runs but that you start automatically. Then the results come and everything looks much better." For those new to the sport, 'automatisms' refer to those instinctive plays and understandings that come from repeated practice together, like a well-oiled machine where teammates know exactly where to pass or run without hesitation – think of it as building a seamless team rhythm that leads to better performances.
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Bournemouth is next on United's agenda
Manchester United is gearing up for a challenging festive period, with four Premier League fixtures before the New Year kicks in. They kick things off with a home clash against Bournemouth on Monday. Interestingly, Bournemouth has been a tricky opponent for United in recent encounters, failing to win any of their last four league meetings. That said, Amorim's team has been in solid form after a shaky start to the campaign, losing only one of their last nine league matches – that sole defeat was a narrow 1-0 home loss to Everton. Up next, they'll travel to Villa Park for a match against Aston Villa on December 21st. Their Boxing Day game (the only top-flight fixture that day) pits them against Newcastle United at Old Trafford. They wrap up 2025 with another home encounter against Wolves on December 30th.
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But here's where it gets controversial: Some fans might question whether food poisoning delaying a recovery is just an unlucky coincidence or a sign of broader issues, like poor preparation or even pressure from high expectations. And speaking of which, is the agent's call for patience in team-building realistic, or does United need quicker results to satisfy impatient supporters? What do you think – should Amorim be given more time to gel this squad, or is the pressure on for immediate wins? Do you believe the Africa Cup of Nations absences are unfairly hurting clubs like United, or is it just part of the global game? Share your opinions in the comments below – I'm curious to hear if you agree with Basanovic's take on building automatisms or if you see a counterpoint!
