Commencing their quest for a third FA Cup final in four seasons, managerless Manchester United welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Old Trafford for Sunday’s third-round tie.
The Red Devils kicked off the post-Ruben Amorim era with a 2-2 draw at Burnley in the midweek Premier League round, while the Seagulls put a dent in Manchester City’s title aspirations in a 1-1 stalemate.
Starting the post-Amorim era as they ended their disastrous spell under the Portuguese, Man Utd enter Sunday’s showdown on the back of three straight draws in the top flight, but the abolishment of FA Cup replays means that there must be a winner and loser this weekend.
In spite of their perpetual problems since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure, Man United have not suffered a third-round exit since the 2013-14 season, although they were prematurely knocked out by Fulham in last season’s fifth round.
Should the Red Devils go all the way in 2025-26, Arsenal’s long-standing record of 14 FA Cup triumphs will be equalled, and Man Utd would also have a path back into European action for their next long-term managerial appointment.
Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount and Kobbie Mainoo returned to action at Burnley, with Harry Maguire an unused substitute.
The defender could feature against the Seagulls, although he is having his load managed. Amad, Bryan Mbeumo and Noussair Mazraoui remain on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Matthijs de Ligt has been sidelined since November with injury.
Solly March and Mats Wieffer will be unavailable for Brighton, while Hurzeler is expecting to make a late call on Yankuba Minteh’s availability.
The Seagulls will be expected to field a changed line-up from their 1-1 draw at Manchester City on Wednesday, as Charalampos Kostoulas and Joel Veltman should be available.
It’s an evening kickoff in the UK, which means a 3:00 p.m. kickoff on the East Coast of the U.S.
The match is on TNT Sports in the UK. Those Stateside can watch on ESPN+. In Canada, it’s on DAZN and Fubo.
Everyone else, head on over to [**LiveSoccerTV**](https://www.livesoccertv.com/teams/england/manchester-united/) to find your viewing options.
**Manchester United possible starting lineup:**
Lammens; Dalot, Heaven, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Ugarte; Dorgu, Zirkzee, Cunha; Sesko