Leeds star rallies behind ‘incredible’ Man Utd rival after club legends take unnecessary swipe

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Utd Report

·23 September 2026

Leeds star rallies behind ‘incredible’ Man Utd rival after club legends take unnecessary swipe

Leeds United’s Jaka Bijol has rallied behind his compatriot Benjamin Sesko following unnecessary criticism from Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt.

It comes after the Manchester United striker missed the weekend’s draw with Fulham due to a re-aggravation of his shin injury, which has also ruled him out of any international action with Slovenia over the break.

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Club legends bizarrely take aim at sidelined Sesko

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

After Sesko was omitted from the squad at Craven Cottage, Scholes reacted on The Good, The Bad & The Football: “If it (your shin) isn’t broken, just wear your shinpads.”

Butt chimed in: “You’re a player – you either break your shin or you play!”

Clearly, United are looking to take precautions in order to avoid the 23-year-old injuring himself more and potentially being sidelined for a longer period.

Michael Carrick explains why Benjamin Sesko isn't in the Manchester United squad to face Fulham and gives an update on Carlos Baleba 🔊
– Sunday, 20 September 2026

Sunday was the best time for him to have a bit of respite, given it was on the verge of the lengthy international break, and Michael Carrick had ample attacking options at his disposal.

Then, when United return to action, Sesko will hopefully be available for the resumption of the Premier League and the Champions League, where fixtures will be coming thick and fast.

Bijol backs Sesko amid fitness concerns

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Sesko’s Slovenia teammate Bijol spoke out after learning of Butt and Scholes’ comments, which ‘haven’t gone down well’ in the country, according to MailSport.

Benjamin Šeško rounds the goalkeeper to make it three for Manchester United 🔄 📺 Watch live on TNT Sports & HBO Max
– Thursday, 10 September 2026

The Leeds defender said: “I hope and believe that Beni knows how to distance himself from this kind of pressure. When things aren’t going your best on the pitch, and you have certain doubts, reading things like this can make your confidence even worse.

“He shouldn’t pay too much attention to it, since we all know what quality he has. He himself knows what kind of footballer he is, and I think he always shows it with incredible things on the pitch.”