Manchester United faces a rare double-header this week with Shieshko set to start! His unique trait has won over the locker room, while Rashford might give up on signing a striker.

Manchester United will experience a rare midweek double next week, playing Tottenham at home on Saturday and then traveling to West Ham on Tuesday. Head coach Carrick will confront a personnel dilemma, with Benjamin Shieshko—the scorer of the winning goal against Fulham—at the heart of it.

Had Patrick Dogu not been sidelined by injury, Carrick might have faced this choice sooner, since Cunha contributed goals off the bench in two straight games, bolstering his claim for a starting role. Due to Dogu’s injury after scoring against Manchester City and Arsenal, Cunha naturally stepped into the starting lineup and scored again.

After the 3-2 victory over Arsenal at the Emirates, Carrick admitted that Cunha was disappointed not to start in both matches but turned that frustration into motivation, making an impact as a substitute. Undoubtedly, if a player performs well but doesn’t get the deserved reward, their enthusiasm could wane.

This season, Manchester United is only competing in the Premier League, with very few midweek matches remaining. For example, before starting against Fulham, Cunha had spent three weeks on the bench. While a team needs depth and substitutes play an important role, modern players’ mindsets differ from those of past eras like Solskjaer or young Hernandez, as most are unwilling to remain long-term super subs.

When players perform well, they must be properly rewarded; otherwise, dissatisfaction and feelings of unfair treatment may arise. In the remaining 14 Premier League games, Carrick must manage his squad wisely to maintain overall team morale—a challenging task. The schedule shows that United has only four matches each in February and March.

Manchester United’s overall rotation won’t be extensive since the squad is fairly settled now, but a few positions could be exceptions—especially the forward line. Notably, the €85 million striker Shieshko has come off the bench in all three games under Carrick, playing only 25 minutes in total.

The 22-year-old Shieshko, after Amolin’s departure, is United’s top scorer with 4 goals in 5 matches. This season, he has scored 6 goals for the Red Devils, ranking second in the team’s scoring charts. He has netted 5 goals in the Premier League in just 1067 minutes, averaging a goal every 213 minutes, comparable to Mbemo’s 205 minutes per goal (8 goals in 1636 minutes) and better than Cunha’s 248 minutes per goal (6 goals in 1489 minutes).

Across the entire Premier League, Shieshko scored 3 goals in 297 minutes in 2026, with only Brentford’s Igor Thiago (5 goals in 440 minutes) having a higher tally.

According to official Premier League stats, Shieshko’s expected goals (xG) stand at 5.53, while he has scored 5 goals. For comparison, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has an xG of 7.43 but also scored 5 goals. So, although Shieshko’s scoring efficiency isn’t world-class, he is among the top scorers at United.

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand revealed that Shieshko’s dedication in training has earned him the admiration of teammates, coaches, and staff. While his performances may not always be outstanding, his 100% effort in daily training leaves a strong impression, and manager Carrick said he deserved the winning goal.

“From what others say at the training ground, Shieshko’s attitude is top-notch,” Ferdinand said. “He arrives early every day, prepares thoroughly for practice, does extra workouts before training to get his body ready, and ensures he gives his all daily, not missing any detail. People at United say that for a young player, his attitude and spirit are elite.”

Ferdinand added, “The club certainly did due diligence before signing him, knowing he’s a good kid willing to work hard. But the key is that he came to a club like Manchester United, a top-level club with high wages, yet he still wants to improve further. That’s why you see teammates in the locker room and on the pitch react so enthusiastically to his goals—they’re genuinely happy for him. Good luck, little brother; I hope everything goes well for him.”

Compared to the Bundesliga, the Premier League is more physically demanding, which limits Shieshko more. However, his development and attitude have boosted the confidence of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos team, who may now abandon plans to sign a new striker in the summer transfer window.

According to “I Paper,” Shieshko is recognized as one of the hardest-working players at Manchester United, displaying near-obsessive commitment to matches and training. This determination convinced transfer chief Christopher Viveil that he will succeed at United, leading the club to focus on midfield rebuilding this summer and put on hold plans to bring in a new number 9.