Ruben Amorim given Benjamin Sesko order as Man Utd boss is told who to drop

Manchester United are gearing up for the weekend, when they take on Manchester City in the opening Manchester derby of the 2025/26 season. Ruben Amorim and his squad will take heart from their cross-town rivals also suffering this season.

Pep Guardiola is still bedding in a host of fresh faces into his squad, offering United the perfect chance to secure back-to-back Premier League triumphs spanning the international break. City have lost their last two Premier League matches,falling to a 2-0 home defeat to Tottenham before a late 2-1 loss away to Brighton. The transfer window also slammed shut between their last outing and upcoming fixture, with the Red Devils snapping up shot-stopper Senne Lammens. This development, combined with what Amorim has observed during the campaign's early stages will provide him with plenty to ponder.

So far, he is yet to start summer signing Benjamin Sesko in a Premier League game, with Mason Mount and summer signings Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha spearheading his front-line. Sesko endured a nightmare evening with Slovenia on Monday, as his nation suffered a crushing 3-0 defeat to Switzerland in FIFA World Cup qualifying.

The striker is suffering in front of goal, but he received backing from international colleague Andraz Sporar, who believes patience will see him develop into a 'complete striker' in the near future. He told reporters: "He has speed, power, intelligence, good football IQ. I believe he can be a complete striker in the next two or three years. But he's still young. He will help Manchester United a lot, they just need to be patient. I believe he'll score the goals and every year he will be better and better."

Sesko is struggling but Mbeumo is the only forward to score for United this season, with the Reds' other strikes coming from own goals and one penalty from Bruno Fernandes. It may be time to deploy Sesko in-between Mbeumo and Cunha, who may prefer playing off another centre-forward, rather than leading the frontline through the middle.

At RB Leipzig, Sesko conjured many spectacular moments. A goal or an impressive display against City would send his confidence through the roof and perhaps inspire an impressive goal run. Moreover, with Lammens' arrival and Andre Onana apparently close to departing on loan, Altay Bayindir remains Amorim's alternative goalkeeper choice.

The United boss must determine whether he persists with his current number one or gambles on his fresh acquisition. If it were down to former Chelsea midfielder and ESPN pundit Craig Burley, it's a straightforward choice.

Burley said: "Altay Bayindir, they can't play him. He might be okay at the old shot-stopping routine - that's what he's paid for, but he's absolutely useless at dealing with set-pieces. This new lad needs to be able to marshal a back four, make saves and have authority and make a statement at set-pieces.

"That's what every team is going to do against United now. They're going to launch balls into the box and the goalkeeper needs to be able to deal with it. He's either going to sink or swim. We don't really know how he's going to handle this scenario."