Man United are looking to bounce back in the Carabao Cup when they host Brighton & Hove Albion this evening
Shea Lacey could start for Manchester United this evening in the Carabao Cup
Shea Lacey could start for Manchester United this evening in the Carabao Cup(Image: Pick the Team/Getty Images)
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Manchester United's weekend defeat to Manchester City is still raw but the Reds will be grateful for the opportunity to make amends tonight when they host Brighton & Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup. Fabian Hurzeler's side is full of confidence, having smashed Coventry 5-0 on Sunday, and Michael Carrick will respect the Seagulls, while also aiming to rotate his team.
Senne Lammens has been ever-present for United since signing last year, but the Reds now have a dependable No.2 for these matches. Karl Darlow did not feature during pre-season due to injury, but did perform well for Leeds last season and could easily make his debut tonight.
In defence, neither Diogo Dalot nor Patrick Dorgu played well at full-back. Noussair Mazraoui could replace Dalot at right-back but Dorgu is likely to keep his place on the left. Carrick said in his pre-match press conference that Luke Shaw could return to face Brighton. However, with an important Premier League game on Sunday, it would be risky to throw him straight back into the mix.
Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez are Carrick's first-choice centre-back partnership. However, Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven need to stay match fit, so they could be given the nod to face the Seagulls.
Kobbie Mainoo cannot be dropped at the moment and it seems unlikely Bruno Fernandes will be rested against a Premier League side. Andrey Santos could be reintroduced, though, having done well in pre-season. He has struggled to break up the Youri Tielemans-Mainoo partnership, but this is a good chance for him to state his claim for a start.
Joining Fernandes in the attacking midfield could be Shea Lacey. Bryan Mbeumo has played a lot of minutes recently and Lacey will be desperate to prove a point after being sent off against Brighton in the FA Cup last season.
On the left, it is a toss-up between Marcus Rashford and Matheus Cunha. Moving Cunha back to the left could be wise and allows Rashford to recharge again ahead of the weekend. That would also allow Benjamin Sesko to lead the line again and get some more minutes under his belt.
United predicted XI vs Brighton: Darlow; Mazraoui, Yoro, Heaven, Dorgu; Santos, Mainoo; Lacey, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko
Manchester United's predicted XI to face Brighton and Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup
Manchester United's predicted XI to face Brighton and Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup
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