Sports
Manchester United v Brighton – Line-ups, stats and preview
Commencing their quest for a third FA Cup final in four seasons, managerless Manchester United welcome Brighton to Old Trafford on Sunday for their third-round tie.
The Red Devils opened the post-Ruben Amorim era with a 2-2 Premier League draw at Burnley in midweek, while Brighton followed up an impressive 1-1 draw away at Manchester City.
With the club hierarchy weighing up potential long-term replacements, another former Manchester United figure, Darren Fletcher, took temporary charge for Wednesday’s four-goal draw at Turf Moor.
Fletcher’s first match as caretaker saw a revitalised Benjamin Sesko score his first Premier League brace, but defensive lapses, including an Ayden Heaven own goal and a long-range strike from Jaidon Anthony, denied United all three points.
Despite prolonged struggles in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, United boast a formidable record at this stage of the competition and have not exited the FA Cup at the third-round stage since the 2013-14 season.
Brighton arrive at Old Trafford seeking to write another chapter in their steady rise through English football, having transformed from Championship contenders into regular challengers for European qualification.
The Seagulls reached the FA Cup final in 1983, losing to United in a replay, and have since developed a strong record in the third round, progressing from 14 of their last 16 ties at this stage.
Fabian Hurzeler’s side have reached the latter stages in recent seasons, including a semi-final appearance in 2022-23 and a quarter-final run last term, although both campaigns ended in penalty shoot-out defeats.
Team news for Manchester United v Brighton
Manchester United were boosted by the midweek returns of Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo, both of whom featured against Burnley after injury layoffs.
Harry Maguire was also back among the substitutes, leaving Matthijs de Ligt as the only confirmed injury absentee, although Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui remain unavailable due to Africa Cup of Nations commitments.
Mainoo is pushing for a start in midfield, while Matheus Cunha will be aiming to score in a fifth consecutive FA Cup appearance, a feat achieved by only four Premier League players in the modern era.
For Brighton, Joel Veltman and Charalampos Kostoulas are expected to be available after missing the Manchester City draw with minor knocks, although Yankuba Minteh remains a doubt.
Mats Wieffer, Solly March, Adam Webster and Stefanos Tzimas are all sidelined, while Carlos Baleba is unavailable due to Cameroon’s continued involvement at AFCON.
Hurzeler has confirmed plans to rotate his squad, potentially opening the door for Jason Steele, James Milner and former United striker Danny Welbeck to start.
Expected line-ups for Manchester United v Brighton
Manchester United: Bayindir; Dalot, Maguire, Yoro, Shaw; Mainoo, Ugarte; Cunha, Fernandes, Dorgu; Sesko
Brighton: Steele; Veltman, Dunk, Boscagli, De Cuyper; Milner, Gross; Mitoma, Gomez, Watson; Welbeck
How to watch Manchester United v Brighton: TV channel, online live stream
Kick-off on Sunday is at 16:30 GMT (11:30 ET / 08:30 PT). Live TV coverage in the UK is on TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 2, and TNT Sports Ultimate.
TNT Sports costs £29.99 a month through discovery+, which includes Eurosport and entertainment and is available on a vast range of devices including smart TVs and gaming consoles.
Online live streaming is available on a vast range of devices through BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and the discovery+ app
The stats for Manchester United v Brighton & Hove Albion
- Manchester United have won 13 FA Cup titles, the second-most in the competition’s history
- United have not exited the FA Cup in the third round since the 2013-14 season
- Brighton have progressed from 14 of their last 16 FA Cup third-round ties
- Brighton have been eliminated from the FA Cup by Man United six times
- United are unbeaten in their last five FA Cup meetings with Brighton
- Brighton have recorded just one away win since October
Prediction
Manchester United
1
–
1
Brighton
With both sides expected to rotate and United still adjusting to life under interim management, a tight and disrupted contest appears likely at Old Trafford.
Brighton will sense an opportunity to exploit uncertainty, but United’s experience in high-pressure cup ties and recent shoot-out success gives them the edge to progress in extra time or beyond.
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