Benjamin Sesko's Recovery Progress for Manchester United

Benjamin Sesko is on course to be back leading Manchester United’s line before the new season kicks off, with the club quietly satisfied his shin injury is healing exactly as planned.

The 23-year-old has sat out United’s opening pre-season friendlies against Wrexham and Rosenborg, but those games were never in his schedule. Staff at Carrington view his absence as precaution rather than cause for alarm, with the striker following a tailored rehabilitation programme after aggravating an existing shin problem in the 3-2 win over Liverpool on May 3.

At the time, United kept the details of the injury deliberately vague. The concern was obvious: a key forward, signed to spearhead a new era, limping out just as the campaign reached its climax. In the end, Sesko missed the final three matches of last season – and those are still expected to be the only competitive fixtures he sits out.

The picture now looks far brighter. The Slovenia international returned to outdoor work last week and has already stepped up his running and ball work. If his progress holds, he has a realistic chance of featuring against Atletico Madrid in Stockholm on Saturday, a fixture that would mark his first minutes since that Liverpool win.

United’s staff are eyeing a more significant milestone a few days later. Sesko is likely to start against Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg on August 8, a game pencilled in as a key tune-up before the serious business begins. From Sweden, United will fly straight to Dublin for a six-day training camp that includes a high-profile meeting with Leeds United at Croke Park on August 12, their penultimate friendly before the Premier League opener away to Hull City on August 22.

While Sesko has been working back to fitness, his absence has opened a different kind of window for Joshua Zirkzee. The Dutch forward started both friendlies against Wrexham and Rosenborg, a run of games that owes more to circumstance than long-term planning. United’s preference remains to sell Zirkzee, but the numbers are awkward.

To avoid booking a loss on a player who arrived for £36.5 million in July 2024, United would need around £21m. That figure, combined with his mixed spell at Old Trafford, makes a permanent exit a stretch in the current market. Interest from Italy has never fully gone away, though, and a loan move back to Serie A is viewed inside the club as the most likely outcome if a suitable offer lands.

Behind all of this sits a broader piece of squad planning. United want another striker to share the load with Sesko and prevent a repeat of last season’s late-campaign anxiety when he went down injured. Club figures have been clear on one point: despite the rumours, they insist there has been no contact with Danny Welbeck, even as Chelsea step up their pursuit of the Brighton forward.

Welbeck, who scored 14 goals for Brighton last season, has long been open to the idea of a return to Old Trafford. The romance of a homecoming is obvious. The reality, for now, is different. Chelsea have made their move for the 35-year-old, who is out of contract at Brighton next year, and United are watching from the sidelines rather than entering the race.

So the picture is sharp. Sesko on track, Zirkzee in the shop window, Welbeck seemingly heading elsewhere. United’s summer up front is taking shape – the only question is whether the club will find the extra striker they want before Sesko leads them out at Hull.