Man United just played the first 2 friendly matches in the pre-season period. They lost to Wrexham 0-1 and won Rosenborg 5-0. In those two matches, captain Michael Carrick fielded all the remaining players in the first team, plus young talents. The stars who could not concentrate due to World Cup breaks are not in this group and may all gather fully in mid-August.
Benjamin Sesko's case is quite special as he did not participate in the 2026 World Cup but has not yet played in the pre-season period of the "Red Devils". The reason is that the Slovenian striker is training to recover from injury. He had problems with his calf in the match against Liverpool in the second leg of the Premier League last season.
Last week, Man United shared a picture of Sesko on their homepage. The 23-year-old star is actively recovering at Carrington while his teammates are heading to Norway for a friendly match with Rosenborg. Team fans expect him to be able to return in the friendly match with Atletico Madrid in Sweden this Saturday.
In the match against Rosenborg, when Sesko was off, Joshua Zirkzee was the main striker in the center forward role. The Dutch striker scored a beautiful goal and left a fairly positive impression. Up to this point, Zirkzee still has no intention of leaving Old Trafford and he will be a substitute for Sesko next season. However, everyone sees that this is not enough to ensure the quality of the attack for the "Red Devils".
In addition to the center forward position, Zirkzee can also fulfill the role of "number 10" right behind the spearhead striker. However, in this role, Man United is not short of players, especially the appearance of captain Bruno Fernandes. Others such as Mason Mount, Matheus Cunha, even young talent Shea Lacey are also capable and do not need Zirkzee.
Man United will shape Sesko as the main star in the center forward position next season. If Zirkzee is still kept on the bench, the depth of the force for this position cannot be guaranteed. Man United may push Cunha or Mbeumo up to play center forward, but that is only a temporary option, not a long-term approach, especially when they have returned to the UEFA Champions League.
In recent years, Man United has had many deals bringing in veteran strikers such as Edinson Cavani, Radamel Falcao or Odion Ighalo. These are contracts that have passed their peak, but Man United's goal is not limited to the ability to contribute on the field, it is also internal competition.
Odion Ighalo was brought in when Anthony Martial was leading the attack. Before that, when Radamel Falcao arrived, he was a rotation option for Robin van Persie (at that time Wayne Rooney played as a midfielder). These contracts have more or less left their mark, especially making the main stars have to try harder to avoid losing the highest position in the attack.
Among these, Cavani was the best player and left a significant impact in the 2020-21 season. However, the subsequent decision to extend the contract of the "Red Devils" with the Uruguayan striker was a mistake because the injury caused Cavani to decline in form afterwards.
Looking at the current context, plus past habits, signing a veteran striker in the short term will solve almost all of Man United's attacking problems at this time. If really determined, the "Red Devils" need to be faster because cases like Robert Lewandowski (who has moved to the US to play football) are no longer available.
Signing with a veteran striker, in addition to solving the long-standing personnel issue, Man United also has someone to pass on more experience to young players. Although he is a starter, Sesko is still inexperienced, not to mention those who are dreaming of joining the first team like Chido Obi Martin.
Man United already has experienced stars in defense and midfield, now they need such a person on the attacking front to diversify the overall picture of the club.
