Michael Carrick makes Tim Sherwood eat humble pie over Benjamin Sesko

Man Utd manager Michael Carrick explained why he has not started Slovenia international striker Benjamin Sesko, the £73.7m signing from RB Leipzig, despite three Premier League substitute appearances, and forced pundits Paul Scholes and Tim Sherwood to eat humble pie over their criticism.

Limited appearances for the £73.7m striker

The 23‑year‑old has made three substitute appearances in the Premier League this season, finding the net once after entering the game against Everton.

Against Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium last weekend, Carrick opted for Matheus Cunha as the starting number nine. Sesko entered after 70 minutes and scored the equaliser in the 88th minute, the match finishing 2‑2.

Pundits and coach spar over the centre‑forward role

Former United midfielder Paul Scholes questioned the decision on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast, describing the performance as timid and lamenting the lack of a true centre‑forward. “It is very difficult to watch a Manchester United team without a centre forward,” he said.

Ex‑Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood echoed the sentiment, suggesting Carrick does not trust Sesko. “Where do you find that striker? Everyone is looking for it… Sesko isn’t the answer because no one wants to play him,” he argued.

Carrick told a pre‑match press conference that Sesko’s delayed start is due to a lingering shin injury suffered against Liverpool at the end of the 2025/26 campaign, which kept him out of pre‑season. He added that the striker has trained fully for three‑and‑a‑bit weeks and is now “in a good place”.

Manchester United resume action on Thursday evening in the Champions League, facing Sabah at Old Trafford.