Manchester United go into the international break with three fresh injury concerns and no clean answer on when they will clear up. Marcus Rashford was withdrawn from the England squad after hobbling off against Fulham, Benjamin Šeško has pulled out of Slovenia duty, and Kobbie Mainoo was substituted in the closing stages of the draw at Craven Cottage. Tottenham on 10 October is the obvious marker, but there is no firm confirmation that any of the three will be ready.

Rashford, Sesko and Mainoo all under a cloud

Michael Carrick said of Rashford: "We had to bring him off as he had a bit of an issue" and later added, "I'm not sure." That leaves United waiting on the forward after a game in which he had to be withdrawn, while Sesko has already ruled himself out of Slovenia's next matches. Mainoo's case is different, but the midfielder being taken off late at Fulham adds another name to a list Carrick cannot yet tidy up.

Sesko's own message was about recovery. "I am very sorry that I will have to miss the next matches of the national team," he said. "Now the most important thing is to fully dedicate myself to recovery." He has only four Premier League appearances and one goal so far, so the interruption comes before he has built much rhythm in domestic league play.

The Tottenham date is still only a target

Carrick's other updates were cautious rather than reassuring. On Amad Diallo, he said, "Amad, hopefully by the time we get back, he will have trained with the group. That's a positive." On De Ligt, he added, "Matta is working towards his fitness as well," which keeps the door open but says little about certainty.

Mainoo's early-season form is part of why this matters. He has already made five Premier League appearances and sits on a 7.27 league rating, which suggests United are not dealing with a fringe squad player here. The club's body count is rising around players they would normally want available for a fixture like Tottenham.

Rashford, Sesko and Mainoo are all in different stages of recovery, but none has been confirmed for the October 10 game. That is the only firm date United can circle right now, and it arrives with Carrick still leaning on hope rather than guarantees.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →