Last season, Man United was eliminated in the first match in two domestic cup tournaments in England. They lost to Grimsby Town in the League Cup and lost 1-2 to Brighton in the FA Cup. Therefore, Carrick's team's goal is to aim for victory against Brighton this season, advancing on the path to conquering the championship.
Force information
On Man United's side, Carlos Baleba is likely to miss the opportunity to face his old club because he is still in the process of recovering from injury, while Matthijs de Ligt, Manuel Ugarte and Amad are also sidelined.
Luke Shaw is almost fit enough to play in the recent Manchester derby but may not be risked, because this weekend Man United will have a guest match against Fulham in the Premier League.
After the 0-1 defeat to Man City, coach Carrick is likely to make changes in the starting lineup. Many Red Devils players have rarely played since the beginning of the season and are eager to show themselves.
Brighton defeated Coventry City 5-0 in the Premier League last weekend, but lacked some key players in the starting lineup. Evan Ferguson, Jack Hinshelwood, Yankuba Minteh, Kaoru Mitoma, Stefanos Tzimas, Mats Wieffer and Zadok Yohanna are all likely to be absent from the League Cup. In addition, the possibility of Georginio Rutter and Michael Svoboda playing is still open.
Recent head-to-head record
In the most recent meeting between the two teams, Carrick's Man United won 3-0 against Brighton at Amex Stadium on the final day of the Premier League season 2025-2026. Dorgu, Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes were the scorers for the away team.
Previously, Man United lost to Brighton with a score of 1-2 in the third round of the FA Cup last season, when Darren Fletcher was temporarily leading the team. That was the match where Danny Welbeck and Brajan Gruda scored for Brighton. On Man United's side, Sesko scored, and Shea Lacey was sent off for two yellow cards.
The most recent match between the two teams in the English League Cup took place in September 2020, when Scott McTominay, Juan Mata and Paul Pogba scored in a 3-0 away win.
Brighton's high form
This season, Brighton continues to impress under the guidance of young coach Fabian Hurzeler. They have qualified for the UEFA Conference League and are ranked 5th in the Premier League table with 7 points, 3 points more than Man United.
Brighton is also the team with the most goals in the Premier League since the beginning of the season with 13 goals. They beat Aston Villa 4-0, lost Chelsea 3-4, drew with Leeds United 1-1 and won Coventry City 5-0.
Brighton's strong attack, stable and versatile playing style will be a threat to Man United, who have been playing erratically since the beginning of the season.
The Man United vs Brighton match in the 3rd round of the English League Cup will take place at 2:00 AM on September 17.
