Benjamin Sesko Feels Confident and Ready for Manchester United Derby

Benjamin Sesko reflects on his journey since his first start for Manchester United in a tough derby defeat at the Etihad Stadium almost a year ago on September 14, 2025. After joining late in the transfer window from RB Leipzig, the Slovenian international faced a challenging start with only two goals by the turn of 2026. However, his fortunes improved significantly under Michael Carrick, as he netted in eight of the 14 games he featured in to finish as the club’s joint top scorer, missing only January’s 2-0 derby win over City.

Though his promising campaign was cut short by a shin injury sustained against Liverpool in May, which forced him to miss the end of the season and this term’s preseason, Sesko feels fully recovered ahead of Sunday’s Manchester derby. Explaining his cautious return, he noted that waiting longer ensured the injury healed completely without setbacks. Now 23, Sesko has made substitute appearances in United’s first three Premier League games, scoring a dramatic late goal against Everton last Sunday, followed by another goal on his first start of the season against Sabah in the Champions League.

Michael Carrick has praised Sesko for offering a different dimension with his height, physicality, and ability to lead and link up the line. Having worked on his physique during his recovery, Sesko feels he is in a much better place this season. Describing life in Manchester, he emphasized how much he is enjoying his time, the great vibes, and the support of his teammates compared to the challenges of adapting to a new country last season.

Reflecting on his path to Old Trafford, Sesko explained that moving directly from Austria or Slovenia to Manchester United earlier in his career would have been too big of a step, making his intermediate moves essential. While acknowledging the legendary status of former United forwards like Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole, Eric Cantona, Wayne Rooney, and Ruud van Nistelrooy, he remains focused on taking things day by day to contribute to the club.

Looking ahead to the upcoming clash, Sesko fondly remembers watching the 2-0 win over City from the bench last season and hopes for a similar performance on Sunday. Without setting strict numerical targets, his primary goal is to score as many goals as possible, improve his overall link-up play, and feel increasingly comfortable and free on the pitch.