Benajmin Sesko was the last outfield player to take a penalty for Manchester United in their shootout defeat to Grimsby Town because he was struggling with cramp, it has been claimed.
United’s new £74million striker was given his full debut against the League Two side on Wednesday night having come off the bench in Premier League games against Arsenal and Fulham.
The 22-year-old failed to get on the score sheet on a humiliating night for Ruben Amorim and his side, falling two goals behind inside half an hour.
Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire scored to force the second round tie to penalties which Grimsby won 12-11 after a marathon shootout.
Sesko took penalty no10 for United, after defenders Maguire, Matthijs de Ligt and Diogo Dalot had scored with only goalkeeper Andre Onana left to take one before players were permitted to take a second.
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While the Slovenia international found the back of the net, the decision immediately concerned United supporters on social media who questioned why their big money signing was so reluctant to step up.
With the incident described as a ‘massive red flag’, it has piled more pressure on the former RB Leipzig star, who does have an otherwise impressive record from the penalty spot.
BBC Sport suggest the decision was made because Sesko was ‘experiencing cramp’ having played the full 90 minutes that evening. It was the striker’s first full 90 minutes in a competitive game since 19 April.
While plenty have pointed the finger at Sesko, former United defender Paul Parker took a more sympathetic view but did admit it would result in the striker’s ‘credentials being questioned’.
‘He hasn’t had any football really since joining this club,’ Parker told Metro via 32Red. ‘Suddenly, he knows what’s going on here, he is seeing the pressure and feeling it too against a fourth-tier team.
‘I just think he’s been too honest, he just didn’t fancy it at that moment in time. I understand it. I am sure there is a lot of people ready to berate him and I’m sure his credentials will be questioned.
‘Would he have stepped up for Leipzig if he was still there? I think the answer would have been yes.
‘He’s a big signing thrown into the mire in a game like that with a team that hasn’t really got going. It is very difficult to do. I don’t want to be too critical.
‘It didn’t make any sense to not give him a chance at the weekend. He should have been given the opportunity in the Premier League first rather than that environment last night.’
