Benjamin Sesko is at the centre of a club-versus-country disagreement after the Slovenia manager Matjaz Kek claimed he had been kept in the dark by Manchester United over the injured striker.
Kek, who is preparing his team for World Cup qualifiers against Kosovo and Sweden, has also demanded that Slovenia be shown “maximum respect” as his team seek their first victory of the qualifying campaign.
Kek has been in constant dialogue with the player who, predictably after he suffered a knee injury in the 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, did not report for international duty at the Slovenian FA’s headquarters in Brdo pri Kranju on Monday.
Kek said that “even a powerhouse like England” should respect his national squad
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United confirmed their player will remain at their Carrington training ground this week to be further assessed, although they remain confident that Sesko, 22, has not suffered a major injury.
It is understood United privately believe they have followed the necessary protocols in terms of withdrawing Sesko from the squad, but as he addressed local media in his first press conference of the international week Kek claimed he had received no contact or medical information from United.
“With all due respect to a great club like Manchester United, we have officially not received anything yet; no papers, no documents,” Kek said. “We would certainly like to get them. We want our medical team to also take a look at it. Our doctor is an expert in this field. We don’t have just anyone in this position.
“I cannot comment, of course I have certain information and I am also in contact with Beni. I can’t say anything because officially we don’t know anything at all. United haven’t contacted anyone from our camp. Of course, I am concerned about the player. The only thing that matters to me is his wellbeing.
“We are prepared to do everything for that and we have never sent anyone on the field if there was the slightest risk.”
Slovenia have three draws and one defeat in four World Cup qualification games
IGOR KUPLJENIK/SPORTS PRESS PHOTO
Sesko was taken off after 85 minutes against Spurs despite only being brought on as a substitute on the hour mark, leaving his team to find an equaliser with ten men because the head coach, Ruben Amorim, had used all his substitutes.
“The national team is something very special and I expect maximum respect from everyone,” Kek, 64, added. “Slovenia deserves that, even if on the other side there is a powerhouse like England, and something as extraordinary as the Premier League. After all it has been quite some time since England defeated Slovenia and that in itself says something about us.”
By Monday afternoon, after Slovenia’s first training session, the national federation revealed it had finally received all the relevant medical documentation and had accepted United’s diagnosis.
Sesko’s fellow forward Andraz Sporar is hoping the injury does not prove serious. “Regarding Beni, we don’t have any information about his knee injury, I hope it’s nothing serious, because we really need him for these two matches,” Sporar said. “I doubt he’ll come but I hope it’s nothing serious, also because of his career.”
The injury is the latest frustration for Sesko who, as Amorim admitted on Friday, has been struggling to adapt to life in the Premier League since joining from RB Leipzig in the summer for £73.7million. Sesko has scored just two goals in 16 appearances for club and country this season, against Brentford and Sunderland.
Meanwhile, Lisandro Martínez, accompanied by one of United’s performance team, will join the Argentina squad training in Europe this week but will not play any matches. The defender has not played for United since early February because of a knee injury.