Manchester United May Enter January Market As Šeško Injury Adds To AFCON Absences

‎Rúben Amorim expressed concern that Benjamin Šeško may be set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after the Manchester United striker suffered a knee injury in the 2-2 draw with Tottenham.

‎The £74 million ($97m) forward was introduced as a 58th-minute substitute but was forced off late in the game. Šeško went down in the 88th minute following a challenge from Spurs defender Micky van de Ven.

‎The Slovenian international was able to leave the pitch after receiving treatment, but when questioned about Sesko’s prognosis after the match, United head coach Amorim said he was worried about the severity of the injury.

‎”We have to check,” Amorim told reporters.

‎”He has something in his knee, so let’s see. We think he has a problem.”

‎When asked specifically whether Sesko could be facing a lengthy period out of the team with the injury, Amorim was unable to offer a positive assessment.

‎”It’s the knee and we never know,” he said.

‎”I think that [Sesko form] is not the biggest concern now. I’m more concerned with an injury because it’s in the knee and I don’t know [how serious it is].”

‎With Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo set to miss United for the Africa Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast and Cameroon next month, Morocco defender Noussair Mazraoui will also participate in the tournament.

‎Amorim admitted the club could be forced to add to the squad in January, especially if Sesko is sidelined.

‎”We have to check everything,” Amorim said. “We have to check what’s happened with Ben, but of course, we are going to have a problem there [with AFCON players], we already knew that, so you can then prepare for that in the summer.

‎”Managing that situation is going to be hard, but let’s see when the window is open, if we can improve the team, and try to repair something that happened. We have to take the chance.”

‎Manchester United remain in the hunt for Champions League qualification after stretching their unbeaten Premier League run to five matches.

‎However, Amorim’s men have now drawn their last two away games, salvaging points with late equalisers against both Tottenham and Nottingham Forest.

‎But Amorim said United could and should have beaten Spurs by showing more “bravery.”

‎”We have a lot of problems and are just beginning to improve, but we should do better, be more aggressive, and feel the atmosphere in the stadium,” he said.

‎”The three points were there. We controlled the game well, but we need to do better.

‎”When you cannot win, you don’t lose. Once again, we did that. We have so much to grow as a team, because today was our day to win this game.

‎”We need to look at ourselves, we were not pressing with the same intensity, we felt comfortable, but we need to understand that if we had more bravery, we could have killed the game.”