Jose Mourinho’s men were impressive in their last top-flight encounter, comfortably dispatching of Newcastle United 4-1 despite falling behind at Old Trafford. The return to the team of Paul Pogba was a significant boost to United, who looked a great deal more fluid and coherent with the France international in their midfield. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marcos Rojo have also returned to action in recent days – both men featured in the Champions League defeat by Basel after suffering severe knee issues last term – with Mourinho now possessing excellent squad depth, particularly in attacking areas. The Red Devils may be eight points behind Manchester City heading into this weekend’s round of fixtures, but it is vital they remain within touching distance of their neighbours prior to the pair’s first meeting of the campaign in the middle of December.
Brighton twice came from behind to take a point from their most recent game against Stoke City on Monday night. It is now five matches without defeat in the Premier League for Chris Hughton’s charges, who have exceeded expectations to rise to ninth place in the standings after 12 games. The former Newcastle United and Norwich City head coach has once again demonstrated his ability to fashion a unit which amounts to more than the sum of its parts, with Brighton generally tough to break down and difficult to play against. The south coast side have won their last two games on the road, but things will be altogether more difficult at Old Trafford this weekend.
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United will have to cope without the services of Phil Jones (thigh) and Michael Carrick (calf), while Eric Bailly could also miss out after picking up a knock. There have been calls for Mourinho to field Ibrahimovic alongside Lukaku, but the Portuguese will almost certainly opt for just one of them as the line-leader on Saturday, while wide men Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial will be keen to pick up from where they left off against Newcastle last time out. Pogba will again be key to the hosts’ chances, but Brighton may feel quietly confident about causing Chris Smalling and, if Bailly is not passed fit, Victor Lindelof problems in the heart of the hosts’ backline.
Brighton, meanwhile, will once again have to make do without midfielder Steve Sidwell (back), but Hughton has no fresh injury concerns ahead of his team’s trip to Old Trafford. Glenn Murray will again lead the line despite the availability of Tomer Hemed following suspension, while Jose Izquierdo’s speed is likely to see him given the nod ahead of Solly March as Albion look to catch United cold on the counter-attack. Centre-halves Shane Duffy and Lewis Dunk have received plenty of plaudits since Brighton’s promotion to the top tier and will have to be at their best to keep out the likes of Lukaku, Rashford and Martial.
It is difficult to look past a comfortable home win in this one, with Brighton likely to adopt a mindset of damage limitation. A United victory to nil is one option worth considering, while it may also be worth considering a triumph for Mourinho’s men in a game featuring more than 2.5 goals. In the anytime goalscorer market, Rashford could be an astute option.
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