Manchester United vs Brighton

Manchester United welcome Brighton to Old Trafford in the League Cup Round of 32 on Wednesday evening. Michael Carrick’s side will be desperate to bounce back from a bruising Manchester derby defeat, while the visiting Seagulls arrive in scintillating goalscoring form.

Manchester United Team News and Injury Latest

Carrick has a mounting injury list to navigate as he prepares his squad for this knockout tie. Midfielders Manuel Ugarte (ACL) and Carlos Baleba (ankle) are sidelined, while Matthijs de Ligt is out with a back issue. Winger Amad Diallo remains unavailable due to a muscle injury sustained in training, with the club targeting an October return against Tottenham.

At the back, Luke Shaw is nearing full fitness but is unlikely to be risked with a Premier League trip to Fulham on the horizon. On a positive note for the hosts, attackers Joshua Zirkzee and Benjamin Sesko are available to lead the line.

Brighton Injury Updates and Expected Rotation

Fabian Hürzeler also faces significant selection hurdles. The Seagulls are travelling without several key attackers, including Kaoru Mitoma (hamstring), Evan Ferguson (ankle), and Yankuba Minteh (leg). Defensive options Mats Wieffer and Jack Hinshelwood are ruled out with knee and knock injuries, respectively.

Given the absences, Pascal Struijk is expected to step into the back four. Midfielder Chema Andrés is pushing for a starting spot after an impressive cameo in their recent cup outing against Coventry. Meanwhile, Femi Azeez is eligible to feature despite having played for Millwall earlier in the competition.

Manchester United and Brighton Form Guide

The hosts have endured a turbulent start to their domestic campaign. Following a commanding 5-2 victory over Ipswich Town, United suffered frustrating defeats to Hull City and Manchester City, interspersed with a 2-2 draw away at Everton.

By contrast, Brighton have been one of the division's most entertaining sides. Hürzeler’s men have netted 13 times in just four Premier League matches. They bounced back from a thrilling 4-3 defeat at Chelsea to comfortably dispatch ten-man Coventry City 5-0 in their last fixture, inspired by Malick Yalcouyé in the number 10 role and veteran playmaker Pascal Groß, who provided two assists.

Progression to the last 16 would offer a vital confidence boost for whoever prevails in Manchester. For United, avoiding another early League Cup exit—following last season's penalty shootout heartbreak against Grimsby Town—is essential to build momentum, while Brighton will look to translate their league scoring streak into a deep cup run.