Why isn't Benjamin Sesko in Manchester United squad for Fulham clash?

The Slovenian was not amongst the travelling cohort that caught the train down to the capital on Saturday, and he misses out entirely today, with Matheus Cunha leading the line for Michael Carrick’s men instead.

The striker’s start to the season was hindered by a shin injury that continued to trouble him from the end of the previous campaign, and that appears to be the case again here.

Reports claim that the forward aggravated his previous problem against Brighton in the recent Carabao Cup exit, and upon assessment, he has not made the journey this afternoon.

Absent: Benjamin Sesko

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“A little bit of an assessment at the moment,” Carrick said of Sesko pre-match.

“He pulled up after the game the other day with a little bit of pain, so we'll have to see how he is.”

There is also no place on the substitutes bench for Matthijs de Ligt, despite there being some hope that he would return from injury at Craven Cottage.

The Dutchman has been out since November with a back problem, and there had been a chance that he would make his comeback as he travelled down with his team-mates yesterday.

Comeback: Luke Shaw

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However, he was not seen with his colleagues disembarking the team bus upon arrival at the stadium, and he has not been named in the matchday squad.

There are two boosts for the visitors this afternoon, with Luke Shaw returning from his thigh problem to come back in at left-back, while summer signing Carlos Baleba could make his long-anticipated debut from the bench after he finally overcame the pre-existing ankle issue he was nursing when he joined the club from Brighton.

United are looking to end a three-game winless run across all competitions that has seen pressure pile on Carrick in his first full season at the helm.