Two Man Utd stars left sweating for their place in Starting XI after Carrick’s ‘unbelievable’ comment | OneFootball

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick hinted that Benjamin Sesko is now pushing for a starting role following his late heroics.

The Slovenian striker has been relegated to the bench since the arrival of the 44-year-old tactician. However, Sesko has come to the team’s rescue twice in the last 10 days.

The 22-year-old netted the last-gasp winner against Fulham just three minutes after Kevin’s equaliser.  The former RB Leipzig did it again on Tuesday, salvaging a draw for the Red Devils in the 96th minute against West Ham to preserve Carrick’s unbeaten record.

Michael Carrick heaps praise on Benjamin Sesko

As expected, Sesko was showered with love from fans and pundits alike, but the most significant input is reserved for the boss.

After Tuesday’s contest in East London, Carrick reserved lavish praise for Man Utd’s hero, who was decisive once more.

“Leny’s come on and made a big difference for us tonight in big moments and then Ben scored again. Ben’s doing a lot work. He’s in a good place, he’s ready to kick on, it’s just managing the balance,” said the MUFC interim manager in his post-match interview (via the Manchester Evening News).

“It’s an unbelievable finish from the angle to generate that, to get it on target, to finish it. It’s some goal from him. He’s capable of that, Ben. He’s done it over time. It’s not that he’s just suddenly burst on the scene.”

“He’s been doing it, he’s proven that he can score goals as well. He’s been doing it in training for us as well. It’s not surprising, to be honest. I think that’s what he does, it’s what he’s good at.”

Benjamin Sesko starts to celebrate after scoring vs West Ham. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

While Carrick didn’t explicitly guarantee Sesko a spot in the starting lineup ahead of Man Utd’s upcoming contest against Everton (on February 23), his comments suggest it would be difficult to deny him a starting role at this stage.

Amad Diallo & Matheus Cunha at risk?

When Carrick first took charge of Man Utd, he opted for a surprising attacking unit composed of three left-footed players in Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo, and Patrick Dorgu, supported by Bruno Fernandes. Following the Dane’s injury, Matheus Cunha was allowed in.

At this stage, it is safe to say the Portuguese skipper and the Cameroonian star are untouchable, given their numbers and enormous impact on the team.

On the other hand, neither Amad nor Cunha has been poor, but perhaps they fall just short of the ‘irrepleacable’ status. Therefore, if Sesko is going to break into the starting lineup, either the Ivorian or the Brazilian would likely be relegated to a super-sub role.

Considering how Carrick began his tenure by benching Cunha, the former Wolves star could be the most likely candidate to make way for the Slovenian in a direct swap that would keep the rest of the lineup intact.

However, benching Amad would allow Mbeumo to resume playing as a right winger, which remains his most efficient role.

Either way, Carrick has a major dilemma to sort out in the next 12 days, but this is the sort of headache that every manager should relish.