Benjamin Šeško, the 22-year-old summer signing, is close to returning from an injury that has kept him out for almost a month, his agent Elvis Basanovic has said. Basanovic told Arena Sport that the striker’s rehabilitation is progressing well and that a comeback could be only days away.

“Benjamin [Šeško] is feeling very good, his rehab is going as planned,” Basanovic said, via ESPN . “He’s really eager to return to the pitch, he misses playing.

“He’s missing games and he’s a bit impatient, so hopefully he’ll be back soon and be where he feels most comfortable. But I think we’ll see him very soon on the field, perhaps even sooner than it might seem at this moment.”

Šeško had been in the early phase of adjusting to the Premier League when the setback interrupted his momentum. His imminent availability comes at a timely moment for Manchester United, with fellow attacking summer signing Bryan Mbeumo bound to leave for the Africa Cup of Nations within the next week.

United face a congested winter programme and the return of Šeško would increase manager Amorim’s options during a demanding period on the calendar. Having another forward fit and ready would help the manager rotate and cope with absences across competitions.

Basanovic also urged patience while praising the manager who played a role in the transfer. “I must say he [Amorim] received Benjamin excellently,” Basanovic said. “I think Ruben first of all is an excellent person with fantastic charisma, extremely intelligent, emotionally intelligent and I think he knows what he’s doing.

“It’s not easy to build such a project that requires enormous knowledge and intelligence. United is one of the biggest clubs in the world , if not the biggest and people don’t understand you need time.

“He is a manager with his own vision to bring United to the top, but he definitely needs time.” The Portuguese manager has also asked fans to be patient after Šeško’s difficult start to life in England.

Arne Slot kept the focus on Liverpool’s result but left the resolution of the Mohamed Salah situation squarely with the player after the Reds’ 1–0 Champions League victory over Inter Milan.

Slot conceded “everyone makes mistakes” when pressed about Salah and said he had told the forward in a “short” conversation at training that he is “not weak”. Dominik Szoboszlai converted a late penalty in place of the Egypt international to secure the win.

The manager emphasised that recognition of an error and the initiative to move on are matters for the squad and the individual. He said: “Well, you say everyone makes mistakes in life but the question is should the players also recognise that as well? And should the initiative come from the player or me? That’s another question. Ibou Konaté has had some difficult moments lately but he played an outstanding game [against Inter].”

Slot pointed to a change in trajectory after he left Salah out of the team, noting the results since that selection decision. “After PSV and Forest games, where we conceded seven goals in two games, it was time for us to concede less and that’s what we did against West Ham,” he outlined. “Then we played Sunderland and their first chance came in the 86th minute. Their first goal wasn’t even a chance and then came Leeds.

“We showed character in the second half and changed the tactics a little bit.”

On how public scrutiny affected the squad, Slot added: “There was a lot of things been said,” Slot added. “Normally, that affects players as well because he’s [Salah] been so influential for the club and the players so it’s never nice when something happens to their teammates.”

Captain Virgil van Dijk declined to assign blame and described the matter as collective. “It’s not up to me to say who should apologise,” Van Dijk said. “It’s [Salah] airing his feelings. The club has to deal with it and him as well.

“It’s a collective situation. Things between Mo and the club are going on and he is obviously not here today helping us get three points.

“I know Mo a long time. He is a friend. We have had highs and lows. We speak, those type of things will stay indoors. We have to brace ourselves and be against the outside noise.”

It is unclear whether the 33-year-old will be included in Slot’s squad ahead of the upcoming Premier League match with Brighton & Hove Albion, with Salah due to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations next week.

Few ruptures destabilise a team like a public falling-out between player and manager. Across international tournaments and club dressing rooms, such confrontations have reshaped squads and careers.

The 2002 Saipan incident remains one of the most notorious cases, so notorious a film was made about it starring Steve Coogan. Roy Keane publicly confronted Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy over pre-tournament preparations in Saipan. The argument spilled out in a team meeting and exploded into a venomous outburst: “Mick, you’re a liar … you’re a f—– w—–,” Keane barked. “I didn’t rate you as a player, I don’t rate you as a manager, and I don’t rate you as a person. You’re a f—– w—– and you can stick your World Cup up your a—. The only reason I have any dealings with you is that somehow you are the manager of my country!” Keane did not play at that World Cup and did not return to international duty until McCarthy’s dismissal.

At Manchester United tensions between David Beckham and Sir Alex Ferguson reached a physical flashpoint in February 2003 after an FA Cup fifth round defeat to Arsenal. Ferguson kicked a boot that struck Beckham above the eye, leaving a cut. Beckham wore a small plaster on his eyebrow at his next public appearance. The season ended with Beckham leaving Old Trafford for Real Madrid.

Zlatan Ibrahimović’s time at Barcelona collapsed after a dressing-room confrontation with Pep Guardiola following a Champions League semi-final defeat to Bayern Munich. “Guardiola was staring at me and I lost it,” Ibrahimović said. “I thought, ‘there is my enemy, scratching his bald head!’ “I yelled: ‘You haven’t got any b—-!’ and worse than that I added: ‘You can go to hell!’ I completely lost it, and you might have expected Guardiola to say a few words in response, but he’s a spineless coward.” Ibrahimović moved on loan to AC Milan and later completed a permanent transfer.

France’s 2010 World Cup campaign also featured a midgame bust-up. At halftime of the group defeat to Mexico, Nicolas Anelka allegedly told manager Raymond Domenech: “Go f— yourself, you son of a w—-.” He was substituted and subsequently sent home.

Finally, the Pogba-Mourinho relationship at Manchester United deteriorated after public disagreement over the team’s approach in 2018–19. Mourinho reportedly told Pogba he would never captain the Red Devils and later labelled him a “virus” that “kills the mentality of good, honest people.” Pogba was left out of a squad and Mourinho was sacked following a defeat to Liverpool.