Wayne Rooney Criticizes Benjamin Sesko's Shin Injury Absence

Wayne Rooney, Manchester United's all-time leading scorer, has publicly questioned striker Benjamin Sesko's absence from a recent 1-1 draw against Fulham, citing a shin injury. Rooney voiced his displeasure on his podcast, Stick to United, suggesting that Sesko's injury might not have been severe enough to warrant missing the crucial match.

"Shin? Has he broken it?" Rooney questioned. "You can hurt your shin, you can take tackles... I bet he's wearing them little stupid shinpads as well." He further elaborated, stating, "If you're trying to play No9 for Man United and you've got a must-win game and you've got a sore shin and you're not playing... that's a big part of the problem." Rooney also reflected on his own playing days, recalling the use of injections to play through pain.

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Rooney's sentiments were echoed by former United teammates Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt on their podcast, The Good, The Bad & The Football. Scholes commented, "If it isn't broken, just wear your shinpads." Butt added, "You're a player - you either break your shin or you don't play!"

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The comments from the former United stars did not sit well in Slovenia, with Leeds defender Jaka Bijol defending Sesko. "I hope and believe that Beni knows how to distance himself from this kind of pressure," Bijol stated. "When things aren't going your best on the pitch and you have certain doubts, reading things like this can make your confidence even worse. He shouldn't pay too much attention to it, since we all know what quality he has."

Another compatriot, Zan Vipotnik of Swansea, also spoke in support of Sesko, noting the difficulty of dealing with recurring physical problems and the mental toll it can take. "It's not easy for him. Recurring physical problems are bad, and to add to that it messes with your head... I really hope and believe his absence from the pitch will be as short as possible and that things will turn for the best very soon."

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