Brighton & Hove Albion travel to Old Trafford for a Carabao Cup third-round tie against Manchester United on Wednesday, arriving full of confidence after a 5-0 demolition of Coventry City at the weekend.
Fabian Hurzeler’s side, the division’s top scorers this season, will target a first progression past the third round in six seasons. Hurzeler has stressed that reaching the next round remains the priority, and has said he will manage the energy of his squad carefully with a congested schedule before the international break.
Brighton team news
Brighton’s absentee list includes Yankuba Minteh, Kaoru Mitoma, Jack Hinshelwood, Zadok Yohanna, Mats Wieffer and Evan Ferguson, while Stefanos Tzimas has suffered a setback in his recovery and will be out for longer than first expected. Georginio Rutter is described as “close” to playing, and Femi Azeez will be assessed in training.
Jason Steele is confirmed to start in goal in place of Bart Verbruggen, and Pascal Gross, who has scored more goals against United than any other opponent in his career, is expected to continue in midfield alongside Yasin Ayari and Malick Yalcouye. New recruit Chema Andres and Matt O’Reilly are among those pushing for a start, with Pascal Struijk, Jaouen Hadjam, Ibrahim Osman and Promise David also in contention.
Brighton predicted lineup
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting XI (4-2-3-1): Steele; Kadioglu, Dunk, Vuskovic, Boscagli; Gross, Ayari; Gomez, Yalcouye, De Cuyper; Kostoulas
When will the match kick off?
The Carabao Cup third-round match kicks off at 20:00 BST on Wednesday, 16 September 2026.
How to watch Manchester United vs Brighton & Hove Albion?
The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football and ITV1 in the UK.
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