Šeško withdrawn from Slovenia Nations League squad; Man Utd order shin tests

Manchester United have confirmed that striker Benjamin Šeško has withdrawn from the Slovenia squad for the current three-week UEFA Nations League window and will undergo further medical tests this week before an individual recovery plan is set.

The club statement, issued on Monday 21 September 2026 and widely carried by UK outlets including the Manchester Evening News, Sports Mole, ESPN and Goal, said: “Manchester United can confirm that Benjamin Sesko has withdrawn from the Slovenia squad ahead of the upcoming three-week international break. The striker had been called up by head coach Bostjan Cesar for two games against Scotland, plus meetings with North Macedonia and Switzerland, but he will now no longer join the squad. Sesko appeared in our Carabao Cup tie with Brighton & Hove Albion, but was absent from the matchday squad for our most recent encounter with Fulham. Benjamin will undergo tests this week before defining his individual recovery plan.”

Šeško therefore misses all four of Slovenia’s Nations League fixtures in this gathering. BBC Sport reported that Slovenia open the window at home to Scotland on Saturday, with further fixtures against North Macedonia and Switzerland also in the programme alongside a second Scotland meeting, consistent with the club’s wording of “two games against Scotland, plus meetings with North Macedonia and Switzerland.”

Carrick: same shin, not ready for Fulham

After Sunday’s 1-1 Premier League draw at Fulham, head coach Michael Carrick linked the problem to the shin injury that previously cost Šeško the end of last season and the whole of United’s pre-season. ESPN quoted Carrick: “We’re not sure with Ben yet. He felt a bit of pain after the game [against Brighton] so we’re assessing him. At the moment, he definitely wasn’t ready for [Fulham], so I haven’t really got any more news to give you at this point. We’ll have to see what that brings.”

Šeško started United’s midweek Carabao Cup defeat by Brighton (3-2) before the discomfort, then missed the Fulham squad entirely. Carrick separately told reporters he could not simply sign cover for every positional setback, underlining that the club is assessing rather than announcing a fixed absence length.

Tests this week — no official diagnosis yet

United’s statement stops at “tests this week” and an individual recovery plan. Secondary Slovenian reporting has gone further: FourFourTwo summarised Ekipa as saying the picture “doesn’t look good” given past patterns and the risk of chronic shin problems without a classic fracture, while Planet Nogomet was cited as saying Šeško would undergo an MRI in London to examine a repetition of earlier issues. BetAlert treats those MRI/chronic characterisations as attributed reporting only — not as a completed club diagnosis. No return date has been announced by Manchester United.

The MEN reported that Šeko underwent further testing at Carrington on Monday morning before the international withdrawal was confirmed, and that United’s next Premier League fixture after the break is Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Saturday 10 October. Availability for that match remains unverified pending the test results.

Slovenia reaction and wider squad blow

BBC Sport said Šeško has 16 goals in 45 Slovenia caps and is joined on the injury list by Jagiellonia Białystok forward Niko Prelc and Viborg centre-back Žan Zaletel, with Petar Stojanović already out. Zan Celar and Jure Balkovec were called up as replacements. Slovan Bratislava forward Andraž Šporar told the Slovenian FA website: “It is impossible to replace a player of Benjamin’s calibre, but football is a team sport and Slovenia has never relied on just one player… This will be a major setback for us… We will certainly miss him, especially with four matches coming up.”

Context: Leipzig signing, form, and clubcountry tension

Šeško joined Manchester United from RB Leipzig in summer 2025. Goal reported a fee structure of about 76.5 million plus €8.5 million in add-ons; other outlets have described it as a club-record outlay. He scored 12 league goals in his first United season despite limited starts after the late-season shin setback, and has two goals in six appearances in all competitions this term according to BBC/ESPN tallies circulating with the withdrawal news.

The Manchester Evening News separately reported ongoing tension between United and the Slovenian FA over Šeško’s fitness management, saying national coach Boštjan Cesar has previously complained when the striker was withdrawn from camps only to feature soon after for his club, and that Šeško has not played for Slovenia since October 2025 — a run that would now extend through this window. Those claims are attributed to MEN reporting and are not part of United’s official statement.

BetAlert confirms only what United and Carrick have stated: withdrawal from the Slovenia Nations League squad, assessment of shin pain after Brighton, unavailability for Fulham, and tests this week ahead of a recovery plan. Diagnosis, chronic labelling, MRI outcomes and any return date remain unverified pending primary club or medical confirmation.