Man Utd play down severity of Sesko injury

Manchester United striker Benjamin Sesko will miss Slovenia's crucial World Cup qualifiers but club officials do not think he suffered a major problem in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Tottenham.

United have also opted to let defender Lisandro Martinez link up with Argentina at their European base before their friendly with Angola, but the 27-year-old will not feature in the match.

Sesko lasted just 30 minutes before limping out of the game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, after jarring his knee when he was tackled by Micky van de Ven.

The £73.7m forward was pictured leaving the ground without crutches, but was not moving freely.

When asked whether the issue was serious, head coach Ruben Amorim said because it was a knee issue "you never know" and said Sesko would need to be checked as it might affect his January transfer plans.

This sparked fears of an extended absence, which could coincide with the departure of fellow forwards Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo - plus defender Noussair Mazraoui - for the Africa Cup of Nations next month.

However, while the full extent of Sesko's injury and the length of his absence will not be confirmed until further tests have taken place at United's Carrington training ground, the club are privately distancing themselves from concerns the 22-year-old could be sidelined for months.

He will miss Slovenia's pivotal matches against Kosovo and Sweden, which they need to win to stand any chance of securing a World Cup play-off berth.

Martinez, meanwhile, has returned to training with Amorim's squad and is closing in on a return after having major knee surgery in February.

Amorim has not called the defender into his matchday squad just yet, and is determined to take it easy on a player who has endured a number of long-term injuries since his arrival from Ajax in 2022.

United feel Martinez will benefit from linking up with his international colleagues, especially as it does not involve extensive travel. It is understood a member of United's performance team will travel with Martinez during his time away.