Manchester United have struggled so far this season after Michael Carrick took the reins on a permanent basis.

As the interim head coach, Carrick brilliantly guided the Reds to a third-place finish last term, which seemed nearly impossible when he originally took over.

That form earned him the full-time role, but Carrick's side are finding it difficult to consistently perform in the new campaign.

Their main issues lie in defence, where the board failed to strengthen in the summer. Left-back and centre-back are both concerns for United, especially with recent injuries.

However, United are also struggling in attack, as there is currently no fit senior striker at the club. Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Joshua Zirkzee can all play there, but none are natural number nines.

Benjamin Sesko started twice before the international break but has since been out with an injury, and the latest updates regarding the Slovenian are not positive.

It was revealed before Manchester United's mid-week clash with Como in the Champions League that Sesko could be out of action for a prolonged period.

The Sun states that Sesko ‘suffered a setback’ during his rehabilitation and that there are internal ‘fears’ that he could be out until 2027.

The striker is said to have ‘undergone thorough checks’ and 'United are concerned that he faces a spell of up to four months out’, with the club ‘braced’ for him to be out until February at the latest.

There will be hopes that Sesko's injury will not be that serious but there is a possibility that United play the majority of the campaign without an actual striker.

Carrick will need support from those above him, and a new striker should now be a priority in the January transfer window.

After missing out on signing players for several key positions in the summer, the January window does give Manchester United a chance to solve at least one issue mid-season.

However, the Reds are usually not big spenders in the January window. It initially seemed that if any signings were made, it would be to strengthen the defence.

The backline at Old Trafford is clearly the biggest weakness, but Sesko's injury could lead to a U-turn in United's transfer strategy as a striker may become the priority.

Fans would clearly like the Reds to bolster both their attack and defence in the mid-season window, but it seems like an unlikely prospect, and United will likely choose which is more important for the rest of the season.