Slovenia boss Bostjan Cesar has called out Manchester United's handling of Benjamin Sesko. The striker is once again at the centre of tensions between club and country, with the unhappy national boss making his feelings clear.
Cesar Questions Sesko's Playing Time
Cesar questioned the 22-year-old's regular playing time after the striker sat out international fixtures for his country earlier this year. Sesko was left out of the Slovenia squad during the March international break to recover from a minor fitness complaint.
The forward has impressed during a strong debut campaign at United following his arrival from RB Leipzig last summer in a transfer valued at approximately £74million. The 22-year-old went on to net 12 goals throughout his first season at Old Trafford, seven of which came after Michael Carrick was appointed by United as the club's interim head coach back in January.
Injury History and Recent Absence
Sesko turned out for United in a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth back in March - the club's final match before the international break - and subsequently withdrew from the Slovenia squad owing to a minor fitness issue. The United striker then recovered sufficiently to feature in the club's next outing against Leeds on April 13. Yet, after picking up a shin injury during the win over Liverpool earlier this month, Sesko was forced to miss United's final three matches of the season. As a result, the striker will be unavailable for Slovenia's forthcoming friendly fixtures against Cyprus and Croatia, with the national side's boss taking issue at the manner in which Sesko's fitness has been handled.
“He missed the last assembly in March and then I kind of wanted him to be absent from United for a while, but then he came back quickly and I don't think he missed a game for the club,” Cesar told reporters on Monday. “But if a player hasn't been in a competitive rhythm for a month, then I don't see the point in him coming and playing at half-strength.” He added: “In cases of injuries, the national team receives all the documentation, and then we decide together with their doctors what is best.”
Carrick's Fitness Update
Carrick provided a fitness update on Sesko ahead of United's goalless stalemate with Sunderland earlier this month, which proved to be the first match the striker missed due to the recent knock. "Ben [Sesko]'s been carrying a shin problem for some time and he took another quite a big bang on it, obviously he had to come off last week, so he wasn't ready today," Carrick stated on May 9.
Previous Tensions
This is not the first occasion that tension has emerged between United and Slovenia over Sesko's availability. Back in November, Slovenia were said to be frustrated by an apparent lack of communication from United regarding Sesko's fitness, with the striker ruled out of two crucial World Cup qualifying fixtures. Following Sesko's injury sustained during a draw with Tottenham Hotspur, former Slovenia manager Matjaz Kek initially called for "maximum respect" before downplaying the row after receiving an update.
"Completely expected from the English media," Kek said in November. "But I emphasise once again: the moment communication was established between us and the Manchester United medical team, the problem was solved in five minutes. I thank the club for their cooperation. Our medical team checked their documentation. The matter was quickly resolved. I wish Benjamin a successful rehabilitation and a speedy return to the field, because everyone who knows him knows that he feels best there."
