A spot in the EFL Cup fourth round will be on the line when Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion clash at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
The EFL Cup returns this week with the third round, and Wednesday will feature one of the eye-catching fixtures of the latest stage at Old Trafford. Manchester United will be eager to brush off the defeat to Manchester City this past weekend in the game vs Brighton & Hove Albion, with the two sides arriving into this game in heavily contrasting frames of mind.
Manchester United will head into the EFL Cup third round on the back of a 1-0 defeat to ten-man Manchester City. The result continued an inconsistent start to the 2026/27 season, as they have lost twice in four Premier League outings, winning only two games in five across all competitions. The loss to City highlighted the gaps in the Manchester United attack, as they struggled to build chances consistently in the final third.
On the other hand, Brighton & Hove continued their solid start to the 2026/27 season with a 5-0 win over Coventry City this past weekend. That helped them return to winning ways after a two-game run without a victory, lifting them to fifth in the Premier League standings. The focus now shifts to cup competitions before another top-flight outing leads them into the international break.
The most recent match between Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford ended in a 2-1 win for the Seagulls in the FA Cup third round. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Michael Carrick has no new injury concerns ampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Manchester United head coach will be bereft of the services of at least five first-team players vs Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday.
Carrick continues to sweat over the fitness of Luke Shaw, and the English international is pushing to be fit enough to take on Brighton. However, Tom Heaton (hamstring), Matthijs de Ligt (lower back), Carlos Baleba (ankle), Manuel Ugarte (knee), and Amad Diallo (ankle) remain unavailable.
Senne Lammens is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Manchester United lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday. The backline will feature Noussair Mazraoui, Leny Yoro, Ayden Heaven, and Patrick Dorgu.
As for the midfield unit, Andrey Santos will line up alongside Kobbie Mainoo in the double pivot, with Bruno Fernandes reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Benjamin Sesko will lead the line for the home side against Brighton, with Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Lammens; Mazraoui, Yoro, Heaven, Dorgu; Mainoo, Santos; Mbeumo, Bruno Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko
Like his counterpart in the Manchester United dugout, Fabian Hurzeler has no new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to Old Trafford. The Brighton & Hove Albion manager could be without as many as ten first-team players on Wednesday.
Michael Svoboda (knee), Femi Azeez (thigh), and Georginio Rutter (ankle) face late fitness tests to determine their availability. However, Zadok Yohanna (knock), Mats Wieffer (knee), Kaoru Mitoma (hamstring), Jack Hinshelwood (unspecified), Yankuba Minteh (calf), Evan Ferguson (ankle), and Stefanos Tzimas (knee) remain in the treatment room.
Bart Verbruggen should retain his spot between the sticks, with Brighton & Hove Albion lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Manchester United on Wednesday. The backline will feature Joao Costinha, Pascal Struijk, Lewis Dunk, and Ferdi Kadioglu.
As for the midfield unit, Chema Andres should join Pascal Gross in the double pivot, with Malick Yalcouye reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Charalampos Kostoulas will spearhead the Brighton attack, with Maxim De Cuyper and Diego Gomez being the two wide attackers. Meanwhile, Azeez and Rutter should be options on the bench if they are fit and available.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Costinha, Struijk, Dunk, Kadioglu; Gross, Andres; Gomez, Yalcouye, De Cuyper; Kostoulas
While Pascal Gross, Maxim De Cuyper, and Bruno Fernandes were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Benjamin Sesko as the Player to Watch for Wednesday’s EFL Cup third-round clash between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford.
The Slovenian striker has been impressive at the onset of the 2026/27 season, scoring twice in only 140 minutes of game time. With Sesko set to receive an opportunity to feature from the get-go on Wednesday, he will be eager to make his mark and earn starting berth in the Premier League this weekend.
Manchester United will be raring to go and return to winning ways, but taking on a confident Brighton & Hove Albion will test their defensive acumen. The free-scoring visitors have been rampant in the final third, failing to find the back of the net in only one of their six outings thus far.
However, with Brighton preferring to play on the front foot, Manchester United will get plenty of opportunities when they push forward. That is where Benjamin Sesko’s form will carry the home side to a confidence-boosting win. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 victory for Michael Carrick and his charges.
