Brighton vs Manchester United predicted XIs: Team news and probable line-ups | OneFootball

New Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler should get a hero’s ovation as he steps out at the Amex Stadium for the first time in a Premier League match.

Predicted XIs:

Brighton (4-2-3-1): Steele; Veltman, Van Hecke, Dunk, Hinshelwood; Gilmour, Wieffer; Minteh, Pedro, Kitoma; Welbeck.

Manchester United (4-3-3): Onana; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez, Dalot; Casemiro, Mainoo; Garnacho, Mount, Rashford; Fernandes.

The American-born German masterminded a stunning 3-0 win at Everton on debut, a day after Manchester United kicked off their season with a 1-0 triumph over Fulham.

Brighton vs Manchester United Team News

Brighton still have a number of players out, among them Solly March and Julio Enciso. Pervis Estupinan, Tariq Lamptey and Evan Ferguson are back in training, however, and could be in the squad.

United’s injury list contains new centre-back Leny Yoro plus fellow defenders Luke Shaw, Tyrrell Malacia and Victor Lindelof.

Last term’s top scorer Rasmus Hojlund is still out, leaving Ten Hag to mull over whether or not to stick last Friday’s goal hero Joshua Zirkzee up front – even though it isn’t his best position – or persist with Bruno Fernandes in a false nine role.

Can Brighton rock Ten Hag’s world?

Brighton signed off last season badly – indeed their final game of term was a disappointing 2-0 home loss to Manchester United.

But that was a different age, the age of De Zerbi. Now there’s a new man at the helm in Fabian Hurzeler and the young German/American – younger than many of his playing staff – could not have got off to a better start.

Pre-season results were excellent and, after a sluggish start at Everton, they built on that by slicing the Toffees apart in a 3-0 win.

The likes of James Milner and Danny Welbeck turned back any number of clocks, livewire Kaoru Mitoma, so missed at the back end of last season, was at his electrifying best and at the back Lewis Dunk and colleagues gave little away.

But Everton would have struggled to test anyone last week – United should represent an entirely different challenge.

There’s a hesitant feel-good about United after winning the FA Cup final, holding Manchester City to a 1-1 draw in the Community Shield and then beating – not always convincingly – Fulham 1-0 in their opening game.

It wouldn’t take much at Old Trafford for a crisis to consume Ten Hag once again but at the moment there is a happy vibe about the place.

Just three places separated these clubs in the table last season; it was three places the season before as well.

Reputationally United may hold all the aces but the Fergie golden age has long gone and games like this are tough ones. It would be an enormous surprise if it wasn’t very close with just a goal separating them at most.