Manchester United vs Brighton – News and Probable Lineups

After contrasting outcomes in the Premier League last weekend, Manchester United will clash with Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford in the EFL Cup third round this Wednesday evening.

The winner of this matchup will progress to the fourth round, with the draw set to occur immediately following the conclusion of the match. The matches for this round are scheduled for the week starting October 26.

Match overview

The 199th Manchester derby was marked by controversy, resulting in a disappointing 1-0 defeat for Michael Carrick’s team against a depleted Manchester City. Erling Haaland scored the decisive goal in the second half, which was allowed to stand amid controversy regarding interference from Enzo Fernandez, who was in an offside position.

Feeling understandably wronged by the VAR decision, Manchester United were unable to take advantage of their numerical superiority for over an hour. Carrick’s attackers lacked creativity, forcing Gianluigi Donnarumma to make only one challenging save deep into stoppage time after Phil Foden was sent off in the 23rd minute.

Following a strong finish to the last season, Manchester United has experienced a challenging start to the current campaign, securing only one victory from four Premier League matches (D1 L2) and failing to keep a clean sheet, conceding a total of seven goals. They currently trail league leaders Arsenal and Manchester City by eight points, and any hope of a title challenge appears to have diminished.

Before they head to face a winless Fulham in their next Premier League match on Sunday, Manchester United aims to correct their course against Brighton in the EFL Cup, a tournament they have won six times, making it their third most successful competition, with the latest victory coming in the 2022-23 season.

This match on Wednesday marks Manchester United’s first appearance in the EFL Cup since their shock early exit to the fourth-tier team Grimsby Town, which happened last season under former manager Ruben Amorim. The last time they were eliminated from this competition before the fourth round was in consecutive seasons back in 1994-95 and 1995-96.

In their previous cup encounter against Brighton, United suffered a 2-1 defeat at home in the FA Cup third round in January, although they did achieve a 3-0 victory over the Seagulls on the final day of the 2025-26 season in May. A win this week would allow them to achieve consecutive victories over Brighton for the first time since February 2022.

In contrast, Brighton is enjoying a stellar run in the Premier League, currently positioned fourth in the standings with seven points (W2 D1 L1). The Seagulls have netted a league-high 13 goals over their first four matches this season, representing their highest tally at this stage across any of their 14 top-flight seasons.

Fabian Hurzeler’s team showcased an emphatic attacking display against 10-man Coventry City at the CBS Arena on Sunday, demolishing their newly-promoted opponents with a resounding 5-0 victory, marking one of their largest Premier League wins in history.

While Hurzeler expressed satisfaction with his squad’s offensive performance in a “special” win featuring five different goalscorers, he also praised Bart Verbruggen, the Man of the Match, who made six saves to secure his fourth clean sheet across all competitions this season.

Brighton’s upcoming fixture against reigning champions Arsenal poses a challenge, but their immediate focus will be on Wednesday’s match at Old Trafford as they seek to improve upon a historically underwhelming record in the EFL Cup, having only reached the quarter-finals once in their history (1978-79). They have suffered fourth-round exits in five of the last six seasons, with the sole exception being a third-round elimination.

Nevertheless, the Seagulls can draw confidence from their recent encounters against Manchester United, having won seven out of their last 11 meetings in all competitions (L4) and managing to score at least two goals in six of those wins, including four victories at Old Trafford.

Team News

Manchester United will be missing Matthijs de Ligt (back), Manuel Ugarte (knee), Amad Diallo (ankle), Tom Heaton (hamstring), and Carlos Baleba (ankle), who was signed from Brighton this summer, as they recover from injuries.

Luke Shaw’s availability is uncertain as he is being assessed following his absence in the Manchester derby. Should Shaw be unable to feature, Patrick Dorgu might continue at left-back, though Carrick could also opt to push him further up the field and start Noussair Mazraoui on the left side of a four-man defence.

Changes are expected in the forward positions for Carrick, with Andrey Santos vying for a return to midfield, and Benjamin Sesko in contention to start ahead of Matheus Cunha, who has yet to make a significant impact in the false nine role.

Brighton’s injury list includes Yankuba Minteh (calf), Kaoru Mitoma (thigh), Jack Hinshelwood, and Zadok Yohanna (both unspecified), along with Mats Wieffer and Stefanos Tzimas (both knee) and Evan Ferguson (ankle).

Georginio Rutter (ankle), Femi Azeez (thigh), and Michael Svoboda (knee) also missed the win against Coventry, and a decision will be taken late regarding their availability for Wednesday.

Pascal Gross, who registered one goal and two assists in the match against Coventry, has scored more goals against Manchester United (seven) than any other team in his career. The 35-year-old could continue to feature in midfield alongside Yasin Ayari and Malick Yalcouye, both of whom found the net over the weekend.

However, Hurzeler has new signing Chema Andres and Matt O’Reilly in contention for a start, while Pascal Struijk, Jaouen Hadjam, and Ibrahim Osman Promise David may also feature in the starting XI.

Manchester United probable starting XI:

Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Mazraoui; Lord, Saints; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Dorgu; Sesko

Brighton & Hove Albion probable starting XI:

Consume; Kadioglu, Dunk, Vuskovic, Boscagli; Gross, Ayari; Gomez, Yalcoue, De Cuyper; Kostoulas

Confidence is surging through Brighton’s free-scoring lineup despite several absences, while a struggling Manchester United has yet to find their form this season and will be cautious against a side that has consistently had the upper hand in recent matchups.

Considering the defensive vulnerabilities of the Red Devils and their difficulties in the attacking third, it appears that Hurzeler’s efficient squad possesses the advantage at this point in the season, providing them with sufficient firepower to outscore their opponents and potentially lead Manchester United to successive early exits from the EFL Cup.