Brighton & Hove Albion welcome Manchester United to the Amex Stadium on Saturday afternoon, with both sides eager to continue their winning starts to the Premier League season. United’s new summer signing Joshua Zirkzee made an immediate impact, scoring a late goal to secure a 1-0 victory over Fulham. Meanwhile, Brighton, under new manager Fabian Hurzeler, had a dream debut, thrashing Everton 3-0 at Goodison Park, showcasing the quality of their new recruits.
Team News:
Brighton will be without Solly March and Julio Enciso, both sidelined with knee injuries. Bart Verbruggen and Igor Julio are also out with unspecified issues, while Evan Ferguson (foot), Pervis Estupinan (ankle), and Tariq Lamptey (unspecified) have returned to training and will undergo late fitness tests. Club-record signing Georginio Rutter, who joined from Leeds United earlier this week, is expected to be on the bench, with Joao Pedro likely to play behind former United striker Danny Welbeck.
Manchester United have a few absences of their own. Leny Yoro, Tyrell Malacia, and Luke Shaw are all out, with Shaw’s injury set to keep him sidelined until after the September international break. Manager Erik ten Hag may stick with the same defensive lineup that kept a clean sheet against Fulham, but new signing Matthijs de Ligt is pushing for a start, potentially at the expense of Harry Maguire.
Head-to-Head:
– Brighton wins: 6
– Manchester United wins: 10
– Draws: 1
Predicted Lineups:
Brighton & Hove Albion:
Steele; Veltman, Van Hecke, Dunk, Hinshelwood; Milner, Wieffer; Minteh, Pedro, Mitoma; Welbeck
Manchester United:
Onana; Mazraoui, Maguire, Martinez, Dalot; Casemiro, Mainoo; Amad, Fernandes, Garnacho; Zirkzee
Both teams will be looking to make a statement, with Brighton aiming to show they can compete against the league’s top sides and United seeking to build momentum in the early stages of the season.
