Michael Carrick's tenure as Manchester United manager has been near-perfect so far, with five wins and one draw from six matches. However, ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash with Crystal Palace, he faces his first major selection dilemma.
Benjamin Sesko has been in outstanding form off the bench, scoring six goals in his last seven games, including winners against Fulham and Everton and a late equaliser at West Ham. His angry celebration after scoring at Everton was interpreted by many as a message to Carrick, but the manager insists their relationship is strong.
Carrick has made only two changes to his starting XI in six games, both forced by injuries. Now he must decide whether to restore Lisandro Martinez or keep Leny Yoro in defence, and whether to start Sesko ahead of Bryan Mbeumo as the central attacker.
“I get why everyone’s talking about it and making a bigger deal of it,” Carrick said. “But I’ve got a really good relationship with Ben. We’ve had some really good conversations and he’s in a really good place. So it’s one of those decisions that we got to try and get right.”
Sesko's contributions have been worth seven points, lifting United from sixth to fourth in the table. Carrick's decision could define the team's momentum as they push for Champions League qualification.
