The international break wasn’t a happy one for Manchester United and their fans and things won’t get any easier when Brighton visit Old Trafford on Saturday.
After losing at Arsenal late on at the Emirates at the start of August, Man Utd have seen a public spat between Jadon Sancho and Erik ten Hag, the postponement of Antony’s return to the club from Brazil duty due to assault allegations and rumours of showdown talks between Ten Hag and Andre Onana over the latter’s decision to start playing for Cameroon again.
Things are a lot more settled at Brighton, who enjoyed a superb 3-1 win over Newcastle before the break in which Evan Ferguson scored a hat-trick.
With all of that in mind, here’s everything you need to know about Man Utd vs Brighton at Old Trafford this weekend.
Manchester United vs Brighton H2H Record (Last Five Games)
Current form (Premier League)
|
Country |
TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
|
United Kingdom |
N/A (Talksport 2 Radio UK) |
|
United States |
SiriusXM FC, Peacock |
|
Canada |
fuboTV Canada |
Erik ten Hag has a number of selection quandaries on his hands as Man Utd manager. Sancho is unlikely to play a major role while Antony is also absent. That may result in Rasmus Hojlund making his first start up front.
Lisandro Martinez could return to fitness but left-backs Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are both out and the game may also come too soon for summer signing Mason Mount.
Deadline day arrival Sofyan Amrabat is recovering from a knock but could be included in the squad, though Amad Diallo is out and Raphael Varane will play no part. Kobbie Mainoo also has a slight chance of returning.
Manchester United lineup vs Brighton (4-2-3-1): Onana; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Dalot; Casemiro, Eriksen; Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford; Hojlund
United have plenty of absentees but it’s not exactly all plain sailing for Roberto De Zerbi either. He will be without Julio Enciso who has a knee problem, while Jakub Moder is struggling to make his return from an ACL injury.
Ansu Fati’s fitness will be tested before this game but he is a doubt, as are Carlos Baleba, Danny Welbeck and Evan Ferguson. The latter had to withdraw from international duty with a knee issue, so he will be assessed before the game too.
Brighton predicted lineup vs Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Veltman, Van Hecke, Dunk, Estupinan; Gross, Gilmour; March, Joao Pedro, Mitoma; Ferguson
There is scope for this to be a really entertaining game, which makes it a shame that it won’t be on television in the United Kingdom. Man Utd really need more points on the board and a convincing performance that they can build on.
That may not come in this game as Brighton are a serious team that will know they are more than capable of turning up and getting something. They also tend to perform well against Man Utd, winning this fixture last season.
Prediction: Manchester United 2-2 Brighton
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