Benjamin Šeško’s injury could see an ignored United striker make his way back into the squad, as Hojlund’s loan deal is missing a vital clause.
Benjamin Šeško was forced into a substitution at the weekend, in Manchester United’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham, following an important challenge from Micky Van De Ven.
The Slovenian striker didn’t make the impact fans would have wanted when he was brought on in the second half before being brought back off in the 87th minute. The striker has since undergone scans with the club.
The injury left United with 10 men for the remainder of the game, as Ruben Amorim had already used all five of the subs at his disposal. Luckily, Matthijs De Ligt rescued a point for the Red Devils with an injury-time equaliser, making it five unbeaten for United.
Amorim mentioned after the game that Šeško’s injury was on his knee, and he didn’t know the severity of the injury. Hopefully, for the 22-year-old striker, it is a minor injury and he is only out for a match or two. A more serious injury would reduce the amount of attacking firepower Amorim has to choose from.
With AFCON on the horizon, United will be hoping not to pick up any long-term injuries to key players, as the tournament will mean Amad, Noussair Mazraoui and Bryan Mbeumo will all be absent from the squad. The absences, as well as the possible injury to Šeško, may mean United will look to add a few attackers in January.
Højlund’s loan deal is missing a vital clause
According to the Manchester Evening News, there is no recall option for United to bring Rasmus Hojlund back to Old Trafford if Amorim needs more attacking options. This will come as a disappointment to the Portuguese coach and higher-ups at United because it means they are unable to utilise a player still on the books in a time of need.
The Dane has netted four times for Napoli, but has struggled since his injury, which has meant Hojlund hasn’t scored in his last four appearances in Italy.
The loan move has been relatively successful for both parties, with it being reported that it is very likely Hojlund will move to Italy permanently if Napoli were able to secure UCL qualification.
However, there is one individual in particular who may be either disappointed or, on the other hand, motivated by the lack of attacking options in the squad. Joshua Zirkzee has only played 26 minutes of football in the last eight fixtures, finding himself at the bottom of the pecking order for United attackers.
The Dutchman has never really found his feet at Old Trafford and has seemingly gone out of favour with Amorim, having not started a game all season. It has been rumoured that Zirkzee could be leaving in January, but the injury to Sesko could stop this move in its tracks.
Depending on Zirkzee’s mindset, the 24-year-old may feel entrapped by United if he is going to have to stay as backup and continue to get little to no game time. Or he could see it as a way for him to find his place back leading the line for Ruben Amorim’s side.
Is Zirkzee a viable option for Amorim?
Joshua Zirkzee made 32 appearances for United last season, only managing to find the net on three occasions. The forward arrived in Manchester surrounded by high expectations, following a successful spell in Italy for Bologna.
It is clear that Zirkzee is passionate about playing for United, but his quality hasn’t been shown so far in his career at Old Trafford. He is a similar player to Benjamin Sesko, standing at 6’4″, he possesses an aerial presence that many of his teammates lack.
If Sesko’s injury was revealed to keep him out for a lengthy period, then it is clear that Zirkzee would have to be utilised by Amorim more if other signings weren’t brought in. However, I think it would be better for both parties if the Dutch attacker were able to find a move and United entered the striker market in January.
AFCON is bound to disturb plenty of clubs in the Premier League, but it is vital that United plan ahead and decide what is to be done with players who currently aren’t getting game time, such as Kobbie Mainoo and Zirkzee, so they can prepare to complete business early when the window opens.
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