Manchester United striker Benjamin Šeško is not part of the club’s first preseason match of the summer against Wrexham, although general concerns about his fitness have been played down.
Šeško had a shin problem that forced him off at halftime in May’s win over Liverpool, followed by an absence that lasted for all three games across the remainder of the 2025–26 campaign. The Slovenian striker did not go to the World Cup this summer but is still short of full fitness.
When 25 players made the trip to Helsinki, Finland to face Wrexham, Šeško and new goalkeeper Karl Darlow were not among them. Šeško is working on his fitness at the club’s Carrington training base, while Darlow is in the “final stages” of recovering from a “procedure” at the end of last season.
Manchester United have confirmed that “both players are expected to be fully fit and available for the start of 2026–27.” At this stage, there is no update as to when either might join the rest of the squad for a preseason schedule being spent entirely within Europe.
After five further matches in four different countries, United’s new Premier League season will open at newly promoted Hull City’s MKM Stadium on Saturday, August 22.
Man Utd Take on Wrexham With Partial Squad
The early stages of preseason will offer an important opportunity for a number of young or fringe players to stake a claim for a bigger role once the full squad is back.
As it is, United are missing Bruno Fernandes, Matheus Cunha, Diogo Dalot, Senne Lammens, Amad Diallo, Youri Tielemans, Noussair Mazraoui and Marcus Rashford because of World Cup duty.
Matthijs de Ligt remains out after missing several months of last season with a back problem.
It puts a chance firmly at the feet of Joshua Zirkee, Mason Mount and Leny Yoro given that United will be expecting to play north of 50 matches in 2026–27, after just 40 last season. The likes of Harry Amass, Jack and Tyler Fletcher, Shea Lacey, Chido Obi and others will have a chance to impress.
World Cup players, each taking a mandatory three-week break from the moment their tournament ended, will gradually link up with the traveling squad. The closer it gets to August 22, the closer the team will be to the one Michael Carrick will start against Hull.
Man Utd 2026 Preseason Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|
| July 18, 2026 | Wrexham | Helsinki, Finland |
| July 24, 2026 | Rosenborg | Trondheim, Norway |
| Aug. 1, 2026 | Atlético Madrid | Stockholm, Sweden |
| Aug. 8, 2026 | Paris Saint-Germain | Gothenburg, Sweden |
| Aug. 12, 2026 | Leeds Utd | Dublin, Ireland |
| Aug. 15, 2026 | AC Milan | Wrocław, Poland |
