Slovenia head coach Bostjan Cesar suggests Manchester United and Michael Carrick should have avoided playing Benjamin Sesko when he was physically struggling.
After making the £70 million move from RB Leipzig last summer, the 22-year-old striker enjoyed a solid first campaign in English football.
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Sesko overcame a relatively low start to cement himself as a regular starter after making vital contributions and scoring decisive goals. He ended the campaign with 12 strikes and one assist in all competitions.
Slovenia coach was irked by Man Utd for playing Benjamin Sesko
The centre-forward also encountered a few physical problems during the season, and they often occurred just before the international break.
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In May, Sesko was asked to turn down his national team’s call-up to recover from a slight knock. Afterwards, the striker picked up from where he left off, but his NT coach didn’t like how Man Utd opted to keep the player due to an injury, only to start him in the following match.
“He [Sesko] missed the last assembly in March and then I kind of wanted him to be absent from United for a while,” said Cesar while chatting with reporters (via the Manchester Evening News).
“But then he came back quickly, and I don’t think he missed a game for the club.”
In early May, Sesko suffered a shin injury during the win over Liverpool, so he missed Man Utd’s last three games of the season, and he won’t be part of Slovenia’s squad for the next two friendlies against Cyprus (June 4) and Croatia (June 7).
“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,” added Cesar.
“In cases of injuries, the national team receives all the documentation, and then we decide together with their doctors what is best.”
Why Cesar’s Sesko claim isn’t accurate
Having also missed out on November’s international break with a knee injury, Sesko won’t be part of Slovenia’s camp for the third time in a row.
But while Cesar’s frustration is understandable, Man Utd shouldn’t be blamed for this unfortunate situation, or accused of using a player who lacks match fitness.
The match that the Slovenian manager is referring to is the home defeat to Leeds on April 13, when Sesko played for the entire 90 minutes.
Nevertheless, it should be noted that the Red Devils had an unusual 24-day gap between this contest and the previous one against Bournemouth. Therefore, the extended break proved sufficient for the former Leipzig star to restore his powers.