United’s Only Center-Forward Is OUT, And Carrick’s Bench Strategy Has Fans Scratching Their Heads

Michael Carrick is dealing with some serious squad headaches heading into their clash with Fulham today, and it is not looking good for United fans. Two players who featured in that brutal midweek defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion, Ayden Heaven and Benjamin Sesko, are both completely out of the matchday squad.

Benjamin Sesko’s Injury Blow Has United Scrambling

The biggest gut punch has gotta be Benjamin Sesko. Carrick himself confirmed the big man felt a slight injury after the Carabao Cup tie, so he decided to bench him for Fulham. Carrick said it plainly, “A little bit of an assessment at the moment. He pulled up after the game the other day with a little bit of pain, so we will have to see how he is.” This isn’t just any player, either. Sesko is United’s *only* out-and-out centre-forward this season. And get this, he still hasn’t even started a Premier League game yet, with his only two starts this term coming in the League Cup and Champions League. Talk about pressure on the attack, or lack thereof.

Ayden Heaven’s Baffling Omission

Then you’ve got Ayden Heaven, who is also nowhere on the teamsheet, which is kinda wild because he is totally fit and available. Dude travelled all the way to London with the team, only to head back after the final whistle without playing a single minute against the Cottagers. What’s the deal? The word on the street is it is all about Carlos Baleba getting deemed match-fit on game day, slotting onto the bench instead. Heaven had a pretty rough time in that loss to the Seagulls, though, so maybe he was gonna lose his spot anyway. Still, rough.

So after today, United fans gotta wait three weeks to see them back in action thanks to the lengthy international break. Their next game is October 10th, squaring off against a winless Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford at 5:30 PM kick-off. Hopefully, they come back healthier and ready to roll!

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Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.