Brighton can move up into sixth place with a win, climbing above both Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, whilst three points for Manchester United will help to further solidify their place in the top four.
The Seagulls come into this fixture on a high, having comfortably beaten Wolverhampton Wanderers 6-0 in their last outing, whilst United also have reason to be confident, with Erik Ten Hag’s side currently on a five-match unbeaten run in the Premier League.
And after a tightly-contested FA Cup semi-final between these two sides less than two weeks ago, Thursday’s clash at the Amex Stadium promises to be another intriguing encounter, with the hosts out for revenge following that penalty shoot-out defeat at Wembley.
-
Team News
Brighton
Many of the unknowns regarding Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi’s team selection for this game concern whether the Italian will choose to recall a number of key players to his starting XI.
Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister and Kaoru Mitoma were all rested in Saturday’s win over Wolves, with the trio restricted to short cameos in the second half.
The question now is whether De Zerbi will choose to stick with the team that won so handsomely, or opt to bring back in some of his star men for what could prove to be a pivotal fixture.
Man United
Man United appear to have come through Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Aston Villa without any fresh injury concerns, but Alejandro Garnacho, Scott McTominay and Raphael Varane are set to remain absent due to prior issues, manager Ten Hag confirmed on Wednesday.
Garnacho hasn’t played since mid-March due to an ankle problem, whilst McTominay and Varane are both yet to return after picking up injuries last month.
-
Likely Lineups
Brighton
Steele; Veltman, Webster, Dunk, Estupinan; Groß, Caicedo; March, Mac Allister, Mitoma; Welbeck
Man United
De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Shaw, Dalot; Casemiro, Eriksen; Antony, Fernandes, Rashford; Martial
-
Key Players
Brighton- Danny Welbeck
As discussed earlier, it is difficult to predict at this stage quite how Brighton will line up for Thursday’s game, especially after boss De Zerbi had to cancel his pre-match press conference due to illness.
If Welbeck does retain his place, however, the former United man could well play a key role for Brighton against his boyhood side, having scored two goals and assisted another in that aforementioned thrashing of Wolves.
Man United- Marcus Rashford
The 25-year-old forward has seen something of a return to form this season, registering 21 total goal involvements (16 goals, five assists) in an impressive 2022/23 Premier League campaign.
That total is comfortably the most in the competition by any United player, with Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes second on that list with 13.
And with four of those goal involvements coming in Rashford’s last four league appearances, he is likely to be a man Brighton will be particularly keen to keep quiet.
-
Match Details
Where is the game being played?
This Premier League clash between Brighton and Hove Albion and Manchester United is being played at Brighton’s Amex Stadium.
What time is kick-off?
As aforementioned, the game is being played this coming Thursday, May 4, with the action set to get underway from 8:00 PM BST.
How can I watch?
This match has been selected for television coverage in the UK, meaning viewers can watch the game live via Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League. Coverage is scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM BST.
