Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Man Utd’s pre-season has largely gone well this season, but Benjamin Sesko’s absence is now a cause for concern.
The striker missed the final few games of last season due to shin splints, and Benjamin Sesko’s absence has now stretched to this pre-season.
He was missing from training again in the lead-up to the PSG game, and it’s even more confusing since he clearly looks transformed physically.
However, that actually might be the reason he is struggling to recover. He needs to avoid the dangerous Romelu Lukaku trap at Old Trafford.
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Benjamin Sesko’s transformation will have an effect
Man Utd fans were caught off guard when pictures of Sesko emerged this season, as the striker looked like he had become a man mountain.
At 6’5″, Sesko already towered over most players, but it was clear that he had gained quite a few pounds of muscle to boot.
In theory, that makes him an even bigger threat in a physical English Premier League, as he was accused of playing “soft” quite a lot last season.
However, beyond just being better equipped physically, Sesko’s transformation will have a knock-on effect on his body if not done judiciously.
When an explosive athlete like Sesko gains more muscle and bulks up, the fast-twitch fibres in the muscles have to bear a higher load.
Fast-twitch muscle fibres are for explosiveness, but they tire quickly, so if they are tasked with bearing more weight, they will be prone to early and sustained damage.
Take Bruno Fernandes, for example. He doesn’t have the most sculpted physique, but his stamina is second to none. That would be lost if he put more weight on his muscles.
Sesko was perfect last season as he balanced explosiveness with physicality. Going too far into one extreme threatens to make him injury-prone.
United have been here with Romelu Lukaku before.
Sesko needs to avoid the Romelu Lukaku trap
When United bought Lukaku, he was a physical specimen, but his biggest strengths were his explosiveness and freight-truck-like running ability.
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Once he had space to run into, the game was over for the opposition. Despite his frame, he did his best work running in behind rather than taking the ball to his feet with his back to goal.
After a good debut season, Lukaku somehow felt the need to bulk up, and in the process of trying to become a target man, the Belgian ended up losing himself.
Not only did his bulk-up cause him to lose his already poor first touch, but his new frame also forced down his explosiveness.
He became more injury-prone, and those troubles continue to this day as his muscles become weak.
The pictures of a remarkable off-season transformation do great numbers on social media, but a larger frame is not always better, especially for players who rely on explosiveness.
Benjamin Sesko’s transformation needs to avoid walking the dangerous Lukaku path.