Sesko and De Ligt Return to Training as Premier League Season Approaches

Manchester United’s final training sessions before the Premier League curtain-raiser brought a jolt of good news: Benjamin Sesko and Matthijs de Ligt are back in full training, and back just in time.

Hours before the league kicks off, both players stepped into group work at Carrington, delivering a clear boost to Michael Carrick and his staff as they piece together plans for the new campaign.

De Ligt back after long lay-off

For De Ligt, this was more than just another session. It was his first full involvement since undergoing back surgery in May, a procedure that followed the injury he picked up last November.

The Dutch defender has endured a brutal stretch. Out since 30 November, he missed the World Cup finals and has been restricted to only a brief 15-minute appearance in training during United’s camp in Dublin last week. On Tuesday, that changed. De Ligt completed a full session with the group, a significant step after months of rehabilitation and cautious build-up.

His return adds experience and authority to a back line that has had to juggle absences and improvisations for much of the past year. With the season about to start, simply having him back in the defensive rotation changes the feel of United’s preparations.

Sesko sharp and pushing for Hull

Up front, Sesko’s presence was just as notable. The forward had missed all of United’s pre-season matches while recovering from a lower leg injury, but his work on the grass over the summer has clearly paid off.

Club staff watched him closely on Tuesday morning. The verdict: he looked sharp. Sesko has now shaken off the problem that ruled him out of United’s final three matches of last season, and there is growing optimism that he could make the squad for the Premier League opener against Hull City next Saturday.

For an attack that will need freshness and variety over a long campaign, the prospect of Sesko being available from day one is no small detail.

Mount sits out as precaution

Not everyone was on the pitch. Mason Mount was the notable absentee from the session after suffering a bruise from a stamp on his foot during the 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain in Stockholm.

The midfielder has already missed the last friendlies under Carrick against Leeds United and Milan, but club sources, cited by British outlet “The Sun”, stressed that his absence is purely precautionary. With the season about to begin, United are clearly unwilling to take any unnecessary risks with a key member of their midfield.

Transfer business still to come

While the medical room grows quieter, the recruitment department remains busy. United still intend to complete new signings before the summer window closes, with at least two arrivals on the agenda.

The club are actively exploring options at left-back, where Lewis Hall has emerged as the preferred target for the hierarchy. They also want a high-profile defensive midfielder to sit alongside new arrivals Youri Tielemans and Andre Santos, adding bite and balance to the spine of Carrick’s team.

Fitness returns, tactical tweaks, and late-window deals: United’s season hasn’t even kicked off yet, but the shape of what they might become is already being drawn in bold lines.