Benjamin Sesko set to miss United vs Everton, rivals scoff as Zirkzee primed to start

Benjamin Sesko is set to miss Manchester United's Premier League trip to Everton on Monday, with optimistic talk of a return before the Christmas schedule. From a rival press box, this feels like a gift. United lose aerial threat, depth, and a pressing trigger that has barely settled. Expect Joshua Zirkzee to carry the load up front, but United's rhythm without a true penalty-box menace remains fragile. Even stranger, some chatter dragged Bryan Mbeumo into the conversation, which only highlights confusion over United's attacking plan. If you are Everton, you smell blood under the lights at Goodison.

In the build-up to United's league fixture at Goodison Park, pre-match chatter from club-focused outlets and active supporter communities suggested Sesko would sit out with hopes of a December return. The conversation quickly turned to strikers and roles, with many pushing for Joshua Zirkzee to start through the middle and others debating focal-point responsibilities around the league. The timing, set against a crowded festive calendar, amplifies the stakes.

🚨 NEW: Benjamin Sesko is set to miss Manchester United's Premier League fixture with Everton on Monday, but the striker is expected to return from injury before the start of the Christmas fixture list. His absence from the team is likely to mean that Bryan Mbeumo will continue

@UtdXclusive

Impact Analysis

Strip away the soft talking points and the impact is stark. Without Sesko, United lose a vertical outlet that pins center-backs and opens lanes for runners. His timing on near-post darts and back-shoulder positioning forces defensive lines to drop a yard. That yard is all creative hubs need. In transition, he occupies both center-backs, letting a second wave arrive. Everton's center-halves will relish the change if United rely on wide crosses without a natural target.

Zirkzee brings silk rather than steel. His touch is cleaner between the lines, he links play and rolls markers, but he prefers to receive to feet. That tilts United into a slower, more choreographed build, which is precisely what Sean Dyche teams want to press and spoil. Set pieces become less threatening too. On the flip side, United might create more cutbacks if the wingers attack inside the full-backs and Zirkzee drifts to create overloads.

From a rival view, the bigger blow is psychological. Festive football is unforgiving. An early December stumble can become a slide, and dressing rooms feel the pressure. The public line about a swift return sounds optimistic. If there is any reactive soreness when he ramps up, that Christmas target moves. United's margin for error was thin already. This nudges it closer to zero.

Reaction

The fan noise tells its own story. One camp calls it perfect timing for Zirkzee to get minutes while Sesko heals, claiming the young forward is in form and deserves a run. Another camp is cynical, insisting United will still bench Zirkzee and protect reputations rather than merit. There's even a tangent questioning why anyone is invoking Bryan Mbeumo in a United striker debate, with others firing back that he has led the line effectively for his team this season and the principle about playing specialists in natural roles still stands.

Frustration over roles bubbled up. Several voices demanded a true No.9 through the middle, not wingers pushed into the position. A few even tossed out wild solutions, like preferring an entirely different club's forward profile over what United have, a sign of how restless the discourse has become. The optimists keep it simple: miss one or two fixtures, then reset and attack the Christmas list. The pessimists hear the word "expected" and read it as public relations fluff. From across town, rivals are smirking at the confusion and the mixed messages.

Social reactions

Mbeumo was focal point since the start of the szn Nothing will chy

Steven (@stevennview)

Hopefully only misses a couple of games in the end at most. Would love to have him up & rolling, back to 100% by the time the Christmas fixtures come around.

Adam (@AdamJoseph)

Can someone ask that clown Rob since when Bryan played as the focal point of the front 3 ?

Mimmy Ti (@TVivivanne)

Prediction

This plays out in three likely steps. First, Zirkzee starts at Goodison and the attack looks prettier but less punishing in the box. United will create phases but struggle to finish second balls and crosses, which suits Everton's compact 4-4-2 block and set-piece bite. Second, the medical language stays cautious. You will hear "he's close" and "responding well" while workloads are managed behind closed doors. Any minor setback - even a tightness on acceleration - pushes the target back a week. That turns "before Christmas" into Boxing Day, then New Year if the calendar squeezes recovery windows.

Third, the market narrative flares. If goals dry up, links to January cover at No.9 will surface, even if they are more smoke than fire. In-game, expect tactical tweaks: inverted wingers aiming for cutbacks, full-backs driving the byline, and midfielders arriving late to mimic a second striker. If United grind out a result, the noise drops and Sesko returns into a relatively stable side. If they drop points, every day he is not on the team sheet will feel like a week.

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Conclusion

From a rival's chair, this is advantage Everton and an open invitation for the rest of the top-four chase to apply pressure. United's public optimism on timeline is exactly that - public. The sensible read is conservative: protect the asset through the heaviest stretch, even if that costs points now. Zirkzee can carry link play and may even shine, but the penalty area is cruel. Without a natural finisher occupying both center-backs, United risk pretty patterns and sterile control.

The smartest play is to bank ugly wins, compress risk on set pieces, and keep the ball in wide overloads where the talent can create tap-ins. Do that and Sesko returns to a campaign still alive. Miss that window and December becomes a slog that rattles confidence. Either way, the conversation about roles, selections, and what a true No.9 gives this squad is not going away. Until Sesko is back starting and finishing, every United lineup will feel like a compromise.