Man Utd & Slovenia at loggerheads over Sesko

Benjamin Sesko

Slovenia manager Bostjan Cesar has questioned why Benjamin Sesko repeatedly misses international duty while remaining available for Manchester United. The striker has not played for his country since October despite featuring heavily for the Red Devils this season.

Slovenia raise fresh concerns over Sesko’s availability

Tensions between Man Utd and Slovenia have intensified after Cesar publicly questioned Sesko’s repeated absences from international duty. The 22-year-old has not featured for Slovenia since October but has played in 32 United's matches this season. The latest dispute follows a shin injury suffered during United’s clash with Liverpool after Sesko collided with advertising hoardings. Slovenia opted to leave the striker out of their June friendlies against Cyprus and Croatia after reviewing medical reports supplied by United.

Benjamin Sesko

Cesar voices frustration over recurring pattern

Cesar admitted he was struggling to understand how Sesko repeatedly recovered in time for Premier League fixtures after being ruled unavailable for Slovenia camps. The issue has further strained an already fragile relationship between the Slovenian FA and Old Trafford. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Cesar questioned the timing of Sesko’s recoveries after previous international absences.

"He missed the last assembly in March and then I kind of wanted him to be absent from United for a while, but then he came back quickly and I don't think he missed a game for the club," he said, as quoted by Daily Mail. "But if a player hasn't been in a competitive rhythm for a month, then I don't see the point in him coming and playing at half-strength."

A long-running club-versus-country dispute

The disagreement between the Red Devils and Slovenia did not begin under Cesar. Former Slovenia coach Matjaz Kek also criticised the club’s communication following a knee injury Sesko suffered against Tottenham in November. That episode came during a difficult period for Slovenia, whose subsequent results contributed to their failure to qualify for the World Cup before Kek’s departure.

Cesar inherited the situation and has continued to push back against what he sees as unequal treatment of the national side. Slovenia believe Sesko’s repeated absences against Hungary, Montenegro, Kosovo, Sweden, Cyprus and Croatia have left the national team at a disadvantage.

"Normally the national team is crucial for us, a little less so for them (United), but it's better for Benjamin not to train for these 14 days," Cesar said last March. "Our medical department immediately assessed that it would not be good for him to play."

FBL-WC-2026-EUR-QUALIFIERS-KOS-SLO

Sesko remains central to ongoing tension

Man Utd are likely to welcome the additional recovery time for Sesko ahead of next season, particularly after the striker’s recent shin issue. However, the growing frustration within the Slovenian camp suggests the dispute over player availability is unlikely to disappear soon. Sesko remains committed to the national team, but further injuries or withdrawals could deepen tensions between club and country as both sides continue to manage one of Slovenia’s most important players.