FA Cup preview: Manchester United vs Brighton & Hove Albion – Team news, line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

Old Trafford sets the stage for Sunday’s FA Cup showdown between Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion.

These are uncertain times at the Theatre of Dreams as the Red Devils must navigate troubled waters after relieving underperforming manager Ruben Amorim of his duties.

Amorim departed the club with the lowest win percentage of any Man Utd manager in the Premier League era. Under-18 boss Darren Fletcher has stepped in as caretaker.

Fletcher’s touchline debut didn’t go to plan as Burnley held his side to a dramatic 2-2 draw at Turf Moor on Wednesday, extending their winless streak to three matches (D3).

While waiting for the appointment of a new manager, this upcoming FA Cup tie could be a welcome distraction from their Premier League nightmare.

The Seagulls have only won one of their eight league matches since the beginning of December (D4, L3).

Given Brighton’s rough patch, it’s perhaps unsurprising that Man Utd enter this clash as 9/10 favourites to secure back-to-back victories over them for the first time since 2022.

Fabian Hurzeler’s side slumped to a 4-2 defeat at Old Trafford in October, having won two consecutive meetings beforehand, including a 3-1 triumph at this venue last January.

That context suggests the bookmakers could be overlooking the visitors, offering odds of 3/1 on them pulling off another upset.

With the Premier League title already beyond reach, Man Utd could still rescue their campaign by closing the gap on Arsenal in the FA Cup’s all-time honours list.

The Red Devils have lifted the trophy in the oldest club competition in European football 13 times to the Gunners’ 14, yet bookmakers rate them as 16/1 outsiders to go all the way this season.

Fletcher’s men have already bowed out of the League Cup against fourth-tier Grimsby Town, so they cannot take anything for granted.

Just one win from five matches at Old Trafford cannot inspire much confidence either (D3, L1), although the hosts can draw inspiration from the fact they’ve only lost once in their last nine outings here (W5, D3).

United and Brighton could meet off the field soon to negotiate a deal for Carlos Baleba amid a growing interest from Real Madrid (via Defensa Central).

However, Fletcher’s team must focus on their on-field duties, with Brighton arriving in Manchester on a dreadful four-game winless away streak (D2, L2).

Team news

Noussair Mazraoui and Bryan Mbeumo faced each other in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) last night. Amad Diallo is still at the tournament.

Dutch centre-back Matthijs de Ligt remains on the sidelines due to injury, while it’s hard to expect Fletcher to put Harry Maguire at risk, considering he has just returned from a lengthy absence.

Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount and Kobbie Mainoo returned to the matchday squad in midweek and will be in contention for the starting line-up on Sunday.

Fletcher hailed the English youngster during the press conference, indicating he could start after a long period of inactivity during Amorim’s regime.

Potential starting line-ups

Man Utd (4-2-3-1): Bayindir; Dalot, Maguire, Yoro, Shaw; Mainoo, Ugarte; Cunha, Fernandes, Dorgu; Sesko.

Brighton (4-2-3-1): Steele; Veltman, Dunk, Boscagli, De Cuyper; Milner, Gross; Mitoma, Gomez, Watson; Welbeck.

Prediction

Brighton’s visit could be a perfect opportunity for Man Utd to defy off-field turmoil and regain some confidence.

However, it won’t be a walk in the park by any stretch of the imagination. Extra time could be on the cards, but the Red Devils will be looking to get the job done in normal time.