The Athletic has live coverage of the Champions League league phase matches Michael Carrick says Benjamin Sesko is close to starting again for Manchester United as the club prepare to return to the Champions League after 1,003 days out of the competition.United have not played in the Champions League since being knocked out by Bayern Munich on December 12, 2023, but Carrick thinks his team can do “some really good things” in Europe.Sesko came off the bench to score at Everton on Sunday, and has not started since being withdrawn at half-time against Liverpool on May 3 due to a shin injury. United face Sabah of Azerbaijan at Old Trafford on Thursday.“Ben’s close,” Carrick said at a press conference on Wednesday. “He missed a lot. Since the Liverpool game is a long time and we had to manage him and look after him, get him fit. He probably trained three and a bit weeks fully with no restrictions, and I think you can see that, coming onto the pitch and getting his rhythm and it was a fantastic goal. He did an awful lot for us last season, it was nice to see him get on the end of that cross (against Everton).
“He’ll be part of each and every game, and it’s just a case of when he takes that next step, but he’s in a good place.”Luke Shaw was absent from training on Wednesday, but Carrick said: “We just gave him an extra recovery day. We’ll see by tomorrow how he is, but it’s not an ongoing thing or a plan or anything like that. It was just off the back of the game the other day. So, as normal, each individual has different little things that we manage and Luke was one of them today.”Shaw missed training on Wednesday (George Wood/Getty Images)Matthijs de Ligt was the only other senior player missing from training as he continues to recover from back surgery, and Carrick is unable to say exactly when the defender will be back.“We’ll have to see,” Carrick said. “Mata has trained really well and is still managing (his recovery). When you’re out for such a long period of time and you get right to the final stages and you push and you push, you’ve got to manage that last stage. It’s important. So, we’ve got to get that balance right for when to take the next step. But he’s on a good track.”Carrick won the Champions League as a player with United in 2008, and he would like to replicate that feat as a manager.He said: “As a one-off feeling and instant kind of emotion, definitely winning the Champions League is the best feeling I’ve been lucky enough to have as a footballer.“On top of that, probably over time, the longevity and playing over a period of time gives you a lot of satisfaction, but to win the Champions League for me was the ultimate. Be nice someday to feel that again.“It’s a magical competition. It’s where we all want to be. When you’re out of it, you realise how special it is, and when you’re in it, you want to make the most of it. It’s the best competition to challenge yourself and push against the best. We’re delighted to be here, but we’re not here to just enjoy the occasion. We’re here to do business and go as far as we possibly can.”
