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Manchester United are optimistic that Benjamin Sesko will be ready for the upcoming campaign as the 23-year-old forward continues his recovery from injury, according to recent reports.

After a relatively subdued start following his £74 million transfer from RB Leipzig last summer, Sesko found his rhythm around the turn of the year. His resurgence coincided with a managerial change that proved more decisive than the seasonal shift.

Michael Carrick’s appointment as interim manager, replacing Ruben Amorim after the Portuguese coach’s fallout with sporting director Jason Wilcox, brought a fresh sense of purpose to the side and particularly to the Slovenian striker.

Under Amorim, Sesko often looked unsure of his role—a situation mirrored across most of the squad, with Bruno Fernandes being one of the few consistent performers during that turbulent period.

Although initially limited to substitute appearances after Carrick took charge, Sesko managed to score seven goals in 13 matches during the latter half of the season. Impressively, he achieved this record in just 595 minutes of game time, averaging a goal every 85 minutes—the best conversion rate among all Premier League players.

However, his strong run of form was halted when the 6’5″ striker aggravated an existing shin injury during the 3-2 victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford. The incident occurred after he was pushed off the pitch by Ibrahima Konate.

That win secured Manchester United’s qualification for the Champions League, allowing Carrick and his staff to rest Sesko for the final three fixtures of the season to prevent further injury.

As the squad reconvened at Carrington for pre-season training on Thursday—excluding players participating in the World Cup—Sesko was notably absent from the images released by the club showing players on the training ground.

According to The Sun, there is no reason for alarm, as the club remains “confident [he] will be fit for the start of the next season.”

The Radeče-born forward is said to be following a customised rehabilitation programme designed to rebuild his fitness ahead of a full return to training.

With five weeks remaining before the opening Premier League fixture on Saturday, 22 August, against Hull City at the MKM Stadium, the expectation within the club is that Sesko will be leading the attack for Carrick’s side.

Manchester United have planned five pre-season friendlies to prepare for the clash with the newly promoted team, with matches scheduled against Wrexham, Rosenborg, Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and Leeds United.

Featured image: Carl Recine/Getty Images