Slovenia manager Boštjan Cesar has hinted that Manchester United striker Benjamin Šeško could be set for a long-term injury lay off with his shin problem.
The Slovenia boss has moved to defend the 23-year-old today following a barrage of criticism from England after his latest lay off.
The striker is suffering from recurring shin injuries. He underwent an MRI scan earlier this week to try and work out the extent of the problem.
The Manchester United striker has since responded to the issue, admitting that he’s fighting to get over a problem that has now plagued him for months.
| Statistic | 2024/25 RB Leipzig | 2025/26 Man United | 2026/27 Man United so far |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 45 | 32 | 6 |
| Minutes | 3,260 | 1,819 | 206 |
| Goals | 21 | 12 | 2 |
| Assists | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Goal contributions | 27 | 13 | 2 |
| Minutes per goal | 155 | 152 | 103 |
What manager has said
Now Cesar has hinted a long lay off could be on the cards.
“This isn’t an easy time for Benjamin,” he told Planet Nagomet.
“He is going through a difficult period in his career, as we know he hasn’t suffered many injuries in the past. It is an atypical injury that requires time to heal.
“The most important thing now is for Šeško to surround himself with people he trusts and believes in, and for everyone around him to remain positive.
“Because that is what he needs. He needs time, he needs good rehabilitation – and Slovenia needs him too, once he is fully healthy.”
Manchester United pressure
He is more than aware of the pressures that come from playing for Manchester United. But he believes that criticism needs to be balanced given it is often a case of boom or bust.
“We know that when you play for such a big club, things like this happen,” he added.
“It is a process that not only Benjamin goes through, but all footballers. Naturally, there was no such criticism when he was fit and scoring goals. He’s aware of this. He is a professional. I believe he doesn’t read these things or let them weigh on his mind.”
Cesar is confident that the striker has the right mentality to get over the issues.
“He is a young player, and things are moving incredibly fast in his life. But he has already made the mental shift. His mind will have to make such transitions in the future as well,” he concluded.
Why Manchester United will be worried
The noises coming out of Slovenia clearly suggest that this is a long term issue for Benjamin Šeško. It’s previously been explained in the country as a chronic shin problem, rather than a set injury which has an obvious fix.
There’s no sign that Slovenia even expect the Manchester United player to return in the next international break.
Picking the injury up in May of this year, the forward spent the summer recovering. He didn’t play again until August and in his four Premier League appearances this season he’s got around 100 minutes combined.
There was more in the Champions League and EFL Cup. His most minutes this season, 66 against Brighton, was immediately before the latest setback.
