Slovenia boss Bostjan Cesar and captain Jan Oblak have jumped to Benjamin Sesko’s defence after he drew criticism from several Manchester United legends for pulling out of games due to a shin injury.

Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt have all taken aim at Sesko after United’s £74million striker missed Sunday’s draw at Fulham and then withdrew from international duty.

Speaking on his podcast Stick to United, Rooney said: ‘Shin? Has he broken it? You can hurt your shin, but you can take tackles. I bet he's wearing them little stupid shinpads as well.

‘If you’re trying to play No.9 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.

‘Unless you physically can’t play, you play when you’re injured. I remember before games we used to get injections and the doctor used to put them in your a**e.’

Scholes and Butt also weighed into the debate on their own podcast The Good, The Bad and The Football. Scholes told Sesko: ‘If it isn’t broken, just wear your shinpads.’ Butt added: ‘You’re a player – you either break your shin or you play!’

The 23-year-old missed the final three games of last season due to the injury, and then all of United’s summer friendlies after being given extra time off in the summer to recover.

He made just two starts this term before missing Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Fulham and withdrawing from the Slovenia squad for the forthcoming Nations League fixtures.

It means Sesko won’t have played for his country for more than a year, but Cesar and Oblak have urged him to rise above the criticism.

‘If you play for a club like this, it happens,’ said Slovenia boss Cesar. ‘It's a process that not only Beni goes through, but everyone does. When he was healthy and scoring, these accusations weren't there.

‘Of course, he's a professional, and I believe he doesn't pay attention to these things. He has to look at everything positively and surround himself with the right people.

‘It’s not easy for Benjamin. He's going through a tough period in his career, as he hasn't had injury problems until now. This is an unusual injury that takes time to heal. Right now, he needs to surround himself with people he trusts and believes in.

‘All of us around him need to stay positive because that's what he needs. He needs time, and Slovenia needs him too when he's healthy.’

Asked if Sesko is made of the right stuff, Cesar replied: ‘Whether he is or isn't, he has to be made of the right stuff. He's a young player, he is made of the right stuff.’

Oblak can empathise after playing in the spotlight for Atletico Madrid since 2014, and the veteran goalkeeper backed Sesko to prove his critics wrong.

‘The whole situation is certainly not easy,’ said Oblak. ‘He transferred to a big club very quickly. He's under a lot of pressure. I know that in such clubs the pressure is always enormous. Especially when injuries come, it's very difficult.

‘But you just have to believe in yourself, aim to heal and come back as soon as possible, and to show everyone – those who think otherwise, who think you can't do it – that they are wrong.

‘I believe that he will succeed. That he will stay strong. That his head will hold up. And that when he returns, he will be at the highest level again.’