Former England striker Gary Lineker believes Man United summer signing Benjamin Sesko is struggling because he is being “starved of any real service”.

Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Lineker said he was watching the 22-year-old closely in the Manchester derby and he came to the conclusion that he isn’t doing anything wrong:

“He was absolutely starved of any real service. He went through once where he broke the offside trap and the keeper blocked his shot.”

“But he does look quick for a big guy and I watched him specifically for a lot of the game and his movement; he’s making darting runs.”

“But the ball [wasn’t coming], I felt for him a little bit. It’s tough when you’re not getting any service.”

Lineker’s comments raise more concerns about Amorim’s system

This is not the first time that complaints have been made about a lack of service to the striker. Rasmus Hojlund had the same problems before he was shipped out to Napoli. Is it a coincidence that the Dane scored on his debut for the Serie A champions?

Sesko’s slow start does indicate that head coach Ruben Amorim is to blame for not supplying his no.9 with enough ammunition.

Man United need a settled front three

Sesko had to start against City due to a lack of alternatives, and while he may keep his place for now, his acclimatisation won’t be helped by the fact that the players around him are constantly changing.

The injuries sustained to Matheus Cunha and Mason Mount are far from ideal, and it remains to be seen when United will be able to field their first-choice front line.

You can’t build up an understanding with your teammates if there is no consistency in selection, and that is one of the main issues that Sesko is facing at the moment.

Read more about the Manchester United First Team Squad for 2025/26 here