Benjamin Sesko is reportedly facing growing frustration over his playing time at Manchester United, with the Slovenia international believed to be increasingly determined to establish himself as the club’s first-choice striker.
Sesko arrived at Old Trafford with enormous expectations after Manchester United invested heavily to bring him from RB Leipzig. The striker was viewed as a long-term solution to one of the biggest problems facing the club, and supporters expected him to become a central figure in the team’s attack.
However, his journey has not been completely straightforward.
The 23-year-old has had to deal with injuries, competition for places and tactical decisions that have limited his opportunities at different stages of his Manchester United career.
The situation has naturally created questions about whether the striker is receiving enough regular football to reach his full potential.
Sesko’s first season at Manchester United was encouraging but difficult. He eventually finished with 12 goals after making the move from Leipzig, with his campaign becoming more productive as the season progressed. His form improved particularly under Michael Carrick, and he scored in eight of the 14 matches he featured in towards the end of the campaign.
That progress made his situation at the beginning of the following season particularly frustrating.
Sesko missed much of pre-season because of a shin problem and was carefully managed when he returned. He came off the bench during United’s opening Premier League matches before finally making his first start in the Champions League.
The striker subsequently scored against Sabah in a 4-0 victory, providing another reminder of the threat he can offer when given enough time on the pitch.
Carrick has repeatedly highlighted what Sesko brings to Manchester United.
The United manager has praised his physicality, pace and ability to play on the last line of the defence. Those characteristics make him a different option from some of United’s other attacking players.
“There’s not many around that give you what Ben does in terms of physicality, playing on the last line and his speed to run in behind,” Carrick said while discussing the striker’s return from injury.
That makes the question of his playing time even more interesting.
If Sesko is considered an important part of United’s attacking plans, the striker will naturally want to be involved as much as possible.
There was already significant discussion around his lack of Premier League starts earlier in the campaign. Gary Lineker questioned why Sesko was repeatedly being left on the bench despite United struggling to create a consistent attacking threat.
The criticism became particularly strong after the Manchester derby, when Sesko remained among the substitutes before eventually being introduced during the match.
For a young striker who cost United a significant amount of money, such a situation can create enormous pressure.
Sesko is not simply fighting for minutes.
He is attempting to establish himself as the face of Manchester United’s attack.
The club did not sign him merely to provide occasional appearances from the bench. United saw him as a striker capable of leading the line for years, and his development will therefore be closely monitored.
The biggest obstacle has been consistency.
Sesko needs regular football to develop his rhythm, particularly because he is still adapting to the physical and tactical demands of English football.
A striker can score one goal and suddenly gain confidence, but maintaining that confidence becomes much easier when the player knows he will receive another opportunity in the next match.
That is why regular starts are so important.
Sesko himself has previously spoken positively about the importance of playing more games. After returning from injury, he explained that he felt increasingly comfortable and that having more matches helped him feel freer on the pitch.
“The more games I’m getting, the more comfortable I feel and the freer I feel in the game as well,” he said.
Those comments underline why playing time could become an important issue for him.
At the same time, it would be inaccurate to suggest that Sesko has publicly declared that he regrets joining Manchester United.
Quite the opposite.
When asked about his life at the club, he said he was enjoying himself, was happy in Manchester and had no complaints about his teammates or his surroundings.
That makes any claim that he has already decided he made a mistake particularly difficult to substantiate.
However, football careers can change quickly.
A player can be happy at a club while simultaneously wanting more playing time.
Sesko’s ambitions are clearly much bigger than simply being a squad player.
He wants to score goals, become an important striker and eventually establish himself among the elite forwards in European football.
Manchester United represents an enormous opportunity for him.
But opportunities have to be accompanied by minutes.
The striker’s situation is therefore likely to remain one of the major talking points around Carrick’s team.
If Sesko continues scoring whenever he receives opportunities, pressure will inevitably increase on the manager to give him more starts.
His goal against Everton was an excellent example.
Sesko came off the bench and scored late in the match, demonstrating his ability to make an immediate impact. He then scored again against Sabah, giving him back-to-back goals and boosting his confidence after his difficult injury period.
For Carrick, that is a positive problem.
The manager now has a striker who is demonstrating that he can contribute immediately after returning from injury.
But it also creates a selection dilemma.
Should Sesko start every important match?
Should he be gradually introduced because of his recent injury problems?
Should Carrick continue using other attacking players in certain tactical systems?
Those decisions will determine how quickly Sesko becomes a permanent starter.
There is also a physical consideration.
Sesko missed almost three months after suffering his shin injury, and United were understandably cautious about rushing him back. He explained that the club wanted to make sure the problem did not return and that taking extra time before playing regularly was ultimately the right decision.
That means some of his limited playing time cannot simply be interpreted as a lack of trust from Carrick.
Part of it has been medical management.
Nevertheless, once the striker is fully fit, he will expect his opportunities to increase.
Manchester United supporters will also expect the same.
The club invested heavily in Sesko because they believe he can become a top striker. If he is fit and producing goals, there will be increasing calls for him to start.
The situation could become particularly interesting if United continue struggling to create chances.
A natural centre-forward gives the team a focal point in attack. Sesko’s height, strength and ability to run behind defenders allow United to attack in different ways.
His presence can also create space for players such as Bruno Fernandes, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.
This is why his development is so important to Carrick’s project.
Sesko does not necessarily need to score in every game.
He needs to become the player who makes Manchester United’s attacking structure work.
He needs to hold the ball up, occupy defenders, attack crosses, run behind the defensive line and create opportunities for teammates.
If he can consistently do those things, it will become increasingly difficult for Carrick to justify leaving him on the bench.
The striker’s own ambitions will also play a role.
Sesko has previously acknowledged that he still has a long way to go before being compared with Manchester United legends such as Wayne Rooney, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Eric Cantona, Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole.
Rather than making huge declarations, he has said that his focus is on improving every day and giving everything to the club.
That attitude suggests that his immediate focus is development rather than looking for an exit.
Nevertheless, football is ultimately about opportunity.
If Sesko believes he can become a world-class striker, he will want to play regularly.
And if he continues producing goals from limited minutes, the conversation around his role will only become louder.
For Carrick, the challenge is finding the right balance between protecting a player who has recently returned from injury and giving him the responsibility required to develop into United’s leading striker.
There is little doubt that Sesko has the physical and technical tools to become an important player at Old Trafford.
The question is whether he can now turn those tools into consistent performances.
If he does, talk of frustration could quickly disappear.
Goals have a way of changing football narratives.
A striker who scores regularly becomes difficult to leave out.
Sesko therefore has an opportunity to change his situation himself.
Rather than allowing frustration over playing time to define his Manchester United career, he can use every substitute appearance, every start and every training session to demonstrate why the club invested so heavily in him.
The long-term objective remains clear.
Sesko wants to become Manchester United’s leading striker.
The club wants him to become exactly that.
For now, the evidence does not show that Sesko regrets joining Manchester United. His own recent comments indicate that he is happy at the club. But his desire for more opportunities is understandable, particularly after demonstrating that he can make an immediate impact when given minutes.
If he remains fit and continues scoring, Carrick may soon face a decision that becomes increasingly difficult to avoid: whether Benjamin Sesko has done enough to earn a permanent place at the heart of Manchester United’s attack.