Manchester United began their preseason build-up without Benjamin Šeško, who was left out of the squad for the club’s first summer match against Wrexham as he continues working on his fitness at Carrington.
The absence is not being treated as a major new injury concern. Instead, it reflects a careful return for a striker who was already managed at the end of last season after a shin problem forced him off at halftime in a win over Liverpool in May. Šeško then missed all three games for the remainder of the 2025–26 campaign.
United start summer without a full squad
Manchester United took 25 players to Helsinki, Finland for the game against Wrexham, but Šeško was not among them. Karl Darlow also did not travel, after undergoing a procedure at the end of last season and later reaching the final stages of recovery.
The broader preseason picture is still taking shape, with United operating early in the summer and several players unavailable because of World Cup duty. That means the club is already balancing fitness work, travel demands and squad management before the competitive schedule ramps up.
For United, the timing matters. The team is preparing for a season that is expected to stretch beyond 50 matches, so the club has reason to be cautious with players who need extra recovery time. Šeško’s absence from the Wrexham trip fits that approach.
What comes next for Manchester United
United are scheduled to open their new Premier League season away to Hull City at the MKM Stadium on Saturday, August 22. That gives Šeško time to keep building toward full readiness, with the focus now on getting him through the final stages of preseason without setbacks.
For now, the key takeaway is simple: MUFC are not rushing one of their strikers back, and Šeško’s omission from the first preseason match appears to be part of a measured fitness plan rather than a fresh problem.
