📅 September 20, 2026
Confirmed: Sesko Not in the Squad at Fulham, Shaw Starts, Baleba on the Bench
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Benjamin Sesko isn’t in the squad at Craven Cottage. Luke Shaw is, and he starts. Carlos Baleba is on the bench and can make his United debut against the club that sold him. Marcus Rashford comes back into the front three.
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Mainoo, Tielemans; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Rashford; Cunha.
Substitutes: Darlow, Mazraoui, Yoro, Dorgu, Santos, Baleba, Mount, Lacey, Zirkzee.
Fulham (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, Affengruber, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Charles; Bobb, King, Iwobi; Garcia.
Substitutes: Lecomte, Andersen, Sessegnon, Larsson, Manuel Angel, Smith Rowe, Palacios, Kevin, Muniz.
Sesko didn’t travel
The Peoples Person reports Sesko is injured and didn’t make the trip south, and that there’s no word yet on what the problem is or how long he’s out. He isn’t on the bench either, so this isn’t rotation.
That matters because of who else is missing. Matthijs de Ligt travelled with the squad and was left out of it. Ayden Heaven isn’t involved after Wednesday night. Amad Diallo and Manuel Ugarte are still out.
One change from the eleven we picked
We went with Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Mainoo, Tielemans; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko in our predicted XI last night. Ten of those eleven start. Rashford takes the Sesko place, and Cunha moves from the left into the middle rather than a like-for-like striker coming in.
So Carrick’s front four is Mbeumo right, Rashford left, Fernandes at ten and Cunha leading the line. That’s a mobile front line with nobody to hit early, against a Fulham side that defends deep and narrow.
Shaw starts, and that’s the bigger call
He’d missed three games. At Friday’s press conference Carrick said of Shaw and Baleba: “There is a chance on both really. Not totally 100 per cent yet,” and on Shaw specifically, “It is really short term, to be honest, but we’re just working towards the game.”
Both made it. Shaw goes straight back in at left-back rather than easing in off the bench, which tells you what Carrick thinks of the alternatives after the cup defeat. Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazraoui are the cover.
Baleba can debut against Brighton’s sellers
He’s named on the bench for the first time. He hasn’t played a minute for United, and the ankle injury he arrived with was picked up in Brighton’s pre-season, before the transfer went through. If he gets on, it’s his debut four days after Brighton knocked United out of the cup.
Andrey Santos and Mason Mount are the other midfield options, with Shea Lacey and Josh Zirkzee the attacking ones. That’s a stronger bench than United have had all month.
Fulham keep the shape
Bernd Leno starts in goal behind Timothy Castagne, David Affengruber, captain Calvin Bassey and Antonee Robinson. Sander Berge and Shea Charles sit in front of them, with Oscar Bobb, Joshua King and Alex Iwobi behind Gonzalo Garcia.
Tom Cairney and Kenny Tete are out, Tete still in concussion protocol. Ryan Sessegnon made the bench after being a fitness doubt, and Emile Smith Rowe, Rodrigo Muniz and Joachim Andersen are all there with him, so Arbeloa has goals to call on.
Fulham came into this winless with a single point. A home game against a United side missing its centre-forward is as good a chance as they’ll get before the international break.
Berge and Charles as a double pivot is the matchup to watch. They’re physical rather than quick, and United’s midfield today is Mainoo and Tielemans with Fernandes running beyond them. Whoever wins that strip of grass decides whether Rashford and Mbeumo get to run at Bassey and Castagne or spend the afternoon defending throw-ins.
Full report here after the whistle.
Sources: Both confirmed line-ups, formations, benches and the captains from SofaScore’s confirmed team-sheet feed for the fixture (event 16363652), taken at 10:35 AM Central on 20 September 2026, cross-checked against The Peoples Person via Yahoo Sports (published 2:15 PM UTC, 20 September) for United and Last Word on Sports’ confirmed line-ups piece (20 September) for both sides. Sesko’s absence and de Ligt travelling without being selected from The Peoples Person. Cairney and Tete out, Tete in concussion protocol, and Fulham’s single point from Last Word on Sports. Carrick’s quotes from his pre-match press conference on 18 September 2026, via GiveMeSport. Accurate as of kick-off, 4:30 PM UK.