Sesko's return gives Man Utd a different attacking threat ahead of City clash

Benjamin Sesko stepped back into Manchester United's starting lineup for the first time since March, and the difference was immediate. The Slovenian striker, sidelined by a shin injury that had dogged him through the summer, finally got his chance to lead the attack from the opening whistle against Sabah FK in the Champions League. What unfolded was a reminder of what United's attack looks like when Sesko is fit and available.

The injury had been stubborn. Carrick had hoped Sesko would be ready for the Premier League's opening day at Hull, but the 23-year-old could only manage substitute appearances in the first three league matches—coming off the bench against Hull, Ipswich, and Everton. Against Sabah, he was finally deemed ready to start. It showed almost immediately. In the first half, he attempted an audacious back-flick that threatened the visitors' goal. Later, when Mbeumo sent him running beyond Sabah's defence, Sesko read the goalkeeper's rush perfectly, collected the ball with composure, and finished into an empty net. "I saw him rushing out, and it was a great opportunity to take the ball away from him and make the goal a little bit easier," he said afterward.

What makes Sesko's presence so valuable is not complicated, but it is rare. At 6ft 5in, he brings a physical dominance that United's other attacking options simply do not possess. Matheus Cunha, who has started in the striker role during Sesko's absence, tends to drift backward into space, creating gaps at the apex of the attack. Sesko does the opposite. He pushes defences back. He is difficult to dispossess. He runs at opponents rather than away from them. He scores. Against Everton, his size allowed him to convert a close-range header that looked destined to win the match, though Ainsley Maitland-Niles' late strike ultimately denied United the points.

Carick was measured in his assessment but clear about the value. "He definitely offers a different kind of threat," the manager said. "There's not many around that kind of give you what Ben does in terms of his physique, his physicality, playing on the last line and his speed to run in behind. He's a real threat." The combination of size with genuine technical skill and pace is uncommon in modern football. Sesko possesses all three.

Now comes the harder question. Manchester City arrive at Old Trafford on Sunday for a Premier League derby, and Carrick must decide whether to trust Sesko's fitness or revert to the safer option of Cunha. The evidence from the Sabah match suggests Sesko should start. But there is also the matter of the left wing. Amad Diallo remains unavailable, which means Carrick must choose between Marcus Rashford, who has yet to score or assist since returning from his loan at Barcelona but has been United's most consistent threat with his pace and directness, and Cunha, whose tendency to drift into Bruno Fernandes' space may not suit the structure Carrick wants.

Carick acknowledged the complexity without revealing his hand. "It's not an easy decision, of course it's not," he said. "But it's definitely one I'd prefer: to have goals in the team and for the boys to be playing well." He emphasized that his squad understands rotation is necessary across a season, that some weeks demand different qualities. What he did not say, but what the Sabah performance made clear, is that when Sesko is available and fit, United's attacking threat takes on a different shape entirely. Sunday will test whether that shape can trouble Manchester City.