Manchester United will have more managers than cup games this season and there can be no greater indictment of where the 20-time champions of England are at.
Manchester United will have more managers than cup games this season and there can be no greater indictment of where the 20-time champions of England are at.
United are expected to appoint their third manager of the campaign in the next 48 hours and the new man – most likely Michael Carrick or Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – will take over a team that effectively has no chance of winning a trophy this season.
After crashing out of the Carabao Cup in August to League Two Grimsby Town, United have now exited the FA Cup at the first hurdle too, a defeat to a weakened Brighton that the home crowd had pretty much resigned themselves to for the final 15 minutes.
Any hopes of Benjamin Sesko’s goal five minutes from time sparking a dramatic fightback after goals from Brajan Gruda and United old boy Danny Welbeck gave Brighton a 2-0 lead were very short-lived. And this at a club once renowned for its comebacks. Apathy abounds at Old Trafford.
Seventeen points adrift of Premier League leaders Arsenal, Champions League qualification is the best United can now realistically hope for but are the players up for that fight?
Darren Fletcher, in what will probably be his last game as interim after stepping into the void left by Ruben Amorim’s sacking last Monday, threw down the gauntlet to the squad but also admitted that they were “fragile” and confidence was on the floor.
You have to go back to 1982 for the previous time United had exited both domestic cup competitions this early but at least then they were still in a title battle.
The better comparison is the 1970-71 campaign. Back then, United had just sacked Wilf McGuinness and brought back Matt Busby on an interim basis when they were eliminated in the FA Cup third round by Middlesbrough, having already exited the League Cup.
They were also 18 points behind league leaders Leeds. Fifty-four years on, United have an interim manager and are waiting to appoint another caretaker to carry them through to the end of the season with no trophy to fight for over the next four or so months. What a mess.
That Brighton’s winning goal was scored by a former United player who should never have been sold merely rubbed salt into the wounds.
Louis van Gaal told United staff at the time that Welbeck was offloaded because he was convinced the striker would never score goals. That was 11½ years ago, since when Welbeck has scored 81 goals in 330 appearances for Arsenal, Watford and Brighton, eight of which have now come against his former club.
Amid the many recruitment disasters since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, United have demonstrated an enduring and troubling tendency to hold on for too long to players they should not have kept (think Anthony Martial, Victor Lindelof, Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones) and sell prematurely those they should have retained (Welbeck, Jonny Evans, Álvaro Carreras and Scott McTominay among them).
Welbeck, now 35, shamed many younger United players here with his energy, hunger, movement and leadership. Fabian Hürzeler called him a “role model” on and off the pitch and United’s dressing room is certainly lacking in those.
Welbeck’s head could have dropped when he missed a big chance early on after Senne Lammens had sent a pass intended for Kobbie Mainoo straight into the feet of the former England striker, whose shot was saved.
But he is too strong a character for that. He led the Brighton line quite brilliantly and his goal – a thrashed finish into the top corner – was just rewards for his nous and endeavour.
Welcome back to Old Trafford Danny Welbeck 🤩
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 11, 2026
The former Man Utd man scores a rocket to double Brighton's lead 🔥
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUKpic.twitter.com/Mv9CEiDYPm
Fletcher implored United’s more experienced players to drag the younger ones along and ensure they “don’t waste this season”. Yet it should trouble the club that Hürzeler could make so many changes and be missing so many key players and still watch his team win with something to spare.
This was Brighton’s fourth win in five visits to Old Trafford despite Hürzeler making six changes to the team that drew at Manchester City in midweek. Many senior men started on the bench and plenty were not here at all, including Carlos Baleba, Yankuba Minteh, Mats Wieffer and Maxim De Cuyper. Of the starters, Jason Steele, Olivier Boscagli, Pascal Gross and Diego Coppola had five Premier League starts between them this season.
Perhaps things would have panned out differently for United had Diogo Dalot, after making a fine run to race onto Matheus Cunha’s through ball, not shoot straight at Steele in the second minute and blown a golden chance to give his side a precious early lead. But after a bright start United faded badly.
Brighton, with one win in eight coming into this, have not exactly been flying themselves but once they went ahead they never really looked like surrendering that lead.
Having worked the ball coolly and calmly down the right channel, they moved inside before switching the play to the left to the impressive Ferdi Kadioglu. He slipped in Welbeck, who shook off the attentions of Mason Mount as he motioned one way and then another, before crossing from the left. Georginio Rutter’s header was cleared off the line by Lisandro Martínez but Gruda smashed home the rebound. There were four United bodies in the six yard box and none ever looked like dealing with the trouble.
Brighton strike first against Man Utd 💥
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 11, 2026
Brajan Gruda gives the Seagulls the lead at Old Trafford ⚽️
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUKpic.twitter.com/T6vpKkBYvN
There is just no defensive resilience in this team. Positionally, they are also suspect and nowhere was that more evident for Brighton’s second. Sure, they have now reverted to a back four after 14 months playing in a back three under Amorim bar a handful of games, but there was no excuse for Patrick Dorgu giving Gruda an inordinate amount of time and space to receive Joël Veltman’s pass and square for Welbeck to score.
Substitute Shea Lacey was sent off on his first senior United appearance at Old Trafford late on when, having already been cautioned for a foul on Yasin Ayari, he was booked again for dissent after throwing the ball down in anger. Fletcher was booked at the end for rebuking referee Simon Hooper for the decision.
"You can't be doing that"
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 11, 2026
Shea Lacey received a tough lesson after being sent off in 90th minute against Brighton 🟥
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUKpic.twitter.com/9KbaBxFXnY
In the stands, co-owners Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Joel Glazer copped more abuse from United supporters and a chorus of boos greeted the final whistle. You would not envy Carrick or Solskjaer.
Fragile players need to build themselves up, says Fletcher
b'Darren Fletcher has warned Manchester United’s players they risk being sold if they “waste the season” and fail to step up after watching the club’s hopes of a trophy effectively end in early January for the first time in 54 years.
Four months after exiting the Carabao Cup to League Two Grimsby in August, United crashed out of the FA Cup to Brighton at the first hurdle for only the third time in 42 years as the crisis deepened at Old Trafford.
Goals from Brajan Gruda and United old boy Danny Welbeck secured a 2-1 victory for Brighton and left United with no realistic prospect of silverware at this stage of the season for the first time since the 1970-71 campaign when Matt Busby returned as interim manager following Wilf McGuinness’s sacking.
United are expected to name an interim head coach to replace Ruben Amorim until the end of the season in the next 48 hours, with Michael Carrick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the frontrunners.
And Fletcher – who has taken temporary charge of the last two games following Amorim’s sacking last Monday – had a strong message for United’s “fragile” players after watching them get booed off against Brighton.
“You know in difficult times that true character is going to show so they have to dig in and show they want to be part of Manchester United’s future, learn from this,” the United caretaker manager said.
“And ultimately, if you’re not, then I don’t think you should be here or will be here. It sounds strong, but that’s just the reality of the way it should be.
“Anytime you come in at Manchester United, it’s a massive job. The thing for me is there’s still a lot to play for this season and I think if I look at the players and we get players back from injury and Afcon [Africa Cup of Nations] and we get a fuller squad, I think these players have got the ability to qualify in a Champions League place and that should be their objective, that should be their mindset.
“But they’re going to have to come together and be part of that as well. It’s not about a manager. It’s not about directors. It’s about everyone and the players have to group together, take responsibility and find a way of improving quickly and taking on the challenge for the rest of the season. Don’t waste the season.”
United’s early cup exits and lack of European football this season mean they will play a total of just 40 games this term. They have not had fewer matches in a full season since the 1914-15 campaign, when they played 39.
Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo are likely to be back for Saturday’s visit of Manchester City after Cameroon and Ivory Coast’s Afcon quarter-final exit but Fletcher was clear there had to be a marked improvement from the squad.
“That is where we’re at – we can’t hide behind that,” he said. “We’ve got to face that and we’ve got to deal with that and it’s not Manchester United’s level or what’s expected.
“But ultimately, we have to do something about that and take a step forward by qualifying for the Champions League.
“You can see that the players are fragile and they need to build themselves up because it’s up to them now – they have got to respond,” he said.
“Confidence is one of the most powerful things in football. When you don’t have confidence you have to dig deep – and you have to battle, grind, fight, work, win games – and then the confidence comes back.
“Champions League places are important for a number of reasons. And for the players, it’s important and for attracting players so it’s important in all levels and for them to feel like this season has achieved an objective of some sorts.
“But I keep saying that the players have got to step up as well. They need to come together and they will, and I’ll challenge them to do that.
“They’ve got to learn how to deal with setbacks to conceding goals, try and build confidence but to do that you’re going to have to grind out ways to win.”
Darren Fletcher speaking post-match
Mixed, really. We started ok and then the goal knocked the stuffing out of us. We did not create enough from then, didn’t play the ball in behind enough to test them and some of our passing was too slow.
I think you can see that the players are fragile. But it’s down to them now, they have to build themselves up.
Confidence is a big thing in football and when you don’t have to to dig deep: work, fight, graft and find a way to win and then go from there.
Dalot speaking
We created enough to win the game to be honest. Then the red card gave us a disadvantage because we were on top of Brighton in the last moments. Overall very disappointed because we wanted to go through. All the lads kept trying to find spaces, like I said really disappointed because I think we deserved to win.
Grim
Before today, the last time Man United were knocked out at the first hurdle in both domestic cups was 1981/82 😮 pic.twitter.com/7RPwTYhv6e
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 11, 2026
Happy hunting ground
Danny Welbeck v #MUFC since leaving Old Trafford in 2014 25/26 - 2 goals
— James Ducker (@TelegraphDucker) January 11, 2026
24/25 - 1
23/24 - 1
22/23 - 0
21/22 - 0
20/21 - 1
19/20 - 0
18/19 - 0
17/18 - 0
16/17 - 1
15/16 - 1
14/15 - 1
This is what Welbeck had to say post-match:
It’s massive. To come here in the FA Cup - whether it’s FA Cup or Premier League, it’s always a massive occasion - it’s one that we’re delighted with, to get into the next round.
There’s a few boys that haven’t been playing regularly, so to put on the performance that they did was huge. It shows the depth of the squad, everybody’s working towards one goal and we’re all buzzing inside the dressing room.
Gruda on his goal and Brighton’s performance
I’m very happy. Especially for me, it’s the first time, last season I was sick every time that we played here, or I was injured. Now I think we had a good day and I really enjoyed being on the pitch. I can see the fans are enjoying themselves, as well. I’m very proud of the fans and of the team today.
We talk a lot when we come through the side to go to the second balls, of course, a bit of luck, the goalkeeper brings the ball in the middle and I was in the right spot. It was not so difficult to score the goal.
Darren Fletcher booked after the game
Can only assume United’s interim manager was protesting the decision to send off Shea Lacey.
FT: United 1 Brighton 2
Brighton are well-deserved winners, and the full-time whistle is greeted with a smattering of boos followed by silence. United have no European football, and are now out of both domestic cups. Brighton played the better football, and now attention turns to who United appoint to see them through to the end of the season.
95 minutes: United 1 Brighton 2
The ball was pumped into the box for surely the final time but Maguire heads down straight at Steele. That is surely that.
94 minutes: United 1 Brighton 2
United have the ball deep in the Brighton half, but Maguire is having touches near the left wing. They need him in the box. United fail to deliver into the penalty area, and Brighton inch towards the finish line.
One last chance to launch the ball into the mixer...
92 minutes: United 1 Brighton 2
Brighton have made another change as they try to run the clock down: Watson on for Gruda. Casemiro does well to spread play to Cunha but not for the first time the Brazilian misplaces his pass.
90 minutes: United 1 Brighton 2
There will be FIVE minutes of stoppage time to play, and Dorgu’s cross is claimed by Steele.
RED CARD! Lacey sent off
The United 18-year-old is shown a second yellow card by Simon Hooper for throwing the ball into the turf after conceding a foul on halfway. Lacey has his shirt over his face as he walks down the tunnel, he looks in tears.
89 minutes: United 1 Brighton 2
Lacey was shown a yellow card for a late tackle. Brighton win a free-kick high up the pitch, which they take short.
87 minutes: United 1 Brighton 2
The game has become basketball since the Sesko goal, which is something Brighton need to avoid. Suddenly it looks like there is so much space for United to attack.
Van Hecke with a stumble which almost allowed Sesko to go clean through but the ball ran away from him. Van Hecke might have just pulled him back but Hooper was unmoved.
GOOOAALL! Sesko with a back post header
Fernandes with an inswinger to the back stick, and a combination of Sesko and Maguire was too much for the Brighton defence to handle. The striker jumped highest, and his header down had too much power for Steele to keep out. That has woken up the crowd.
Benjamin Sesko scores to give Man Utd a lifeline 🙌
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 11, 2026
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUKpic.twitter.com/ruPsfISXlF
83 minutes: United 0 Brighton 2
Old Trafford has seen some famous comebacks down the years but it does not sound like there is much belief in the stadium. United have been listless in this second half; so many loose touches and misplaces passes.
They do now have a corner, though.
80 minutes: United 0 Brighton 2
Casemiro with a back-heel into the path of the 18-year-old Lacey, and his curling shot clips the roof of the net. He hit the bar with a similar effort against Burnley on Wednesday. He looks a considerable talent, and also United’s most likely route back into this.
Sesko shoots straight at Steele with a swivelled volley from the edge of the box.
78 minutes: United 0 Brighton 2
Now United are making a couple of changes: Harry Maguire and Casemiro on for Ugarte and Martinez. I wonder if Maguire has been brought on to go up front for the last 10 minutes.
75 minutes: United 0 Brighton 2
Fernandes with a superb pass to release Zirkzee in the area, but his cutback was intercepted by Boscagli.
A triple change is on the way for Brighton: Mitoma, Van Hecke and Ayari are the players coming on. Bolstering the middle of the defence and adding Mitoma’s speed for a threat on the counter-attack.
Welbeck, Gomez and Veltman the players off. Old Trafford applauds Welbeck, which is a nice touch.
72 minutes: United 0 Brighton 2
b'Louis van Gaal told United that he sold Danny Welbeck because he felt he would never score goals. That worked out well didn’t it. Amid the many recruitment disasters over the past decade or so is United’s remarkable ability to hold on to players they shouldn’t keep for too long (Anthony Martial, Victor Lindelof, Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones among them) and sell prematurely those they should have kept (Welbeck, Jonny Evans, Scott McTominay, Alvaro Carreras etc). It was genuinely shocking to witness the time Dorgu afforded Gruda there to play his pass to Welbeck. Truly pathetic defending.
70 minutes: United 0 Brighton 2
Gruda with another great piece of skill to win a foul. Just before the Welbeck goal, Fletcher rolled the dice with a couple of changes: Lacey and Zirkzee on for Mainoo and Mount. United swing a couple of crosses into the box but they are repelled by Brighton heads.
3 - Kobbie Mainoo created three chances from open play in the opening 30 minutes against Brighton; the most by a @ManUtd player in the first half hour of a match since Mainoo himself on Boxing Day 2024 v Wolves (3). Reminder. pic.twitter.com/Ir7JS7Aot1
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 11, 2026
67 minutes: United 0 Brighton 2
Some groans around Old Trafford as United labour. Dorgu goes down in the area looking for a penalty but Simon Hooper, correctly, is having none of it. Great away performance from Brighton considering all their changes.
GOOOALLL! Welbeck scores at Old Trafford
Gruda receives the ball in a nice position between the lines again, and feeds a pass into Welbeck whose movement unbalances Yoro, and the former United man drilled an unerring finish beyond Lammens into the top corner. With his weaker foot, too. United have a mountain to climb now.
Welcome back to Old Trafford Danny Welbeck 🤩
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 11, 2026
The former Man Utd man scores a rocket to double Brighton's lead 🔥
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUKpic.twitter.com/Mv9CEiDYPm
63 minutes: United 0 Brighton 1
b'You just wouldn’t know this was a severely weakened Brighton. United can’t get the ball off them at the moment and when they do they tend to give it straight back. Steele, Boscagli, Gross and Coppola have five Premier League starts between them this season and only six of the players who started against Manchester City in midweek are starting here. Brighton also have Baleba missing because of Afcon and other regulars like Minteh, Wieffer and De Cuyper missing.
58 minutes: United 0 Brighton 1
Gruda has been excellent for Brighton, and feels he should have a corner after a shot on goal trickles past the near post. Brighton looking quite comfortable at the moment. Fletcher must be weighing up changes. A Cunha cross is aimless and bounces through to Steele.
54 minutes: United 0 Brighton 1
Half a chance from a Brighton free-kick, but Veltman was always leaning back and his shot was sliced well over the bar. United have lost some impetus in the last few minutes. Cunha, Fernandes and Mainoo get a little close to each other in the middle of the pitch and Cunha fouls Kadioglu after a heavy touch.
50 minutes: United 0 Brighton 1
Ugarte and Mainoo with a couple of misplaced passes straight out for a throw in in the last few minutes.
Lovely touch and control on the turn by Gruda to set Brighton away, but United recover and block a shot at the edge of the box.
The game remains end to end.
47 minutes: United 0 Brighton 1
United with an early chance to send a free-kick into the box, but Brighton defend. United keep the pressure on though, they have started the second 45 minutes in the Brighton half. Dorgu picks out an underlapping run of Cunha, and his low cross is blocked. Corner, headed away by Welbeck.
We’re back under way!
United get the second half under way.
United will play just 40 games if they lose this
b'There’s a big 45 minutes ahead if United want to avoid some unwanted history. If they go out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle today – just over four months since doing the same in the Carabao Cup to League Two Grimsby – it will mean they only play a total of 40 games this season. You have to go back to the 1945-46 campaign – the first after the Second World War – for the last time they played fewer games in a season (they played four then, all in the FA Cup).
As troublingly, you have to go back to the 1970-71 campaign for the last time their chances of a trophy were effectively over by early January when they were eighteen points adrift of league leaders Leeds then and out of both the League Cup and FA Cup. They also were out of both domestic cup competitions by January 2, 1982 but at least that season they remained in with a shout of winning the title. They were two points off the top on Jan 2, 1982 and would finish that season in third.
HT: United 0 Brighton 1
Brighton could be on their way to another Old Trafford triumph. United have had some good moments going forward, notably through Diogo Dalot’s runs forward, but Brighton have also passed through them a little easily at times. Work for Darren Fletcher to do.
44 minutes: United 0 Brighton 1
United with some pressure as the end of the first half nears, but Brighton are defending their box well. No United player can find that telling pass or shot at the moment.
Dalot then gets in behind Kadiouglu, but tries a back-heel which he gets all wrong.
b'That kind of sums up Dalot’s first half. Another good, well timed run in behind Brighton’s defence and takes Martinez’s raking pass in his stride but then gets his feet in a muddle and falls over attempting a back-heel.
There were a smattering of boos at the half-time whistle.
42 minutes: United 0 Brighton 1
Fernandes goes for a low free-kick under the Brighton wall but the ball rolls wide of the post. Kadioglu is seeing lots of the ball for Brighton down their left flank.
38 minutes: United 0 Brighton 1
Steele is making an impression in the Brighton goal; he is well-positioned some 40 yards off his line to cut out a ball over the top aimed at Sesko. Brighton keeping the ball well in the last few minutes, Gross at the heart of it.
Welbeck goes close! Gruda freed him with a reverse pass in the box, and Welbeck lifted the ball over Lammens but into the side-netting.
33 minutes: United 0 Brighton 1
Both teams are playing some good attacking football, and Steele is in action again to smother at the feet of Lisandro Martinez who burst forward with a dangerous underlap. United have been positive, but they also look open at times. Fernandes almost picks out Sesko with a through ball, after Dalot picked out United’s playmaker.
30 minutes: United 0 Brighton 1
b'It’s a bit of a United old boys convention at Old Trafford. Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt are sat next to Sir Alex Ferguson in the directors’ box, Darren Fletcher is assisted by Jonny Evans and Danny Welbeck is leading the line (impressively) for Brighton. Mike Phelan is also here working for Talksport.
28 minutes: United 0 Brighton 1
Important block at the back from Boscafli after good work from Lisandro Martinez to fashion a yard for a shot in the box. Brighton then string together some nice passages of passing, without really threatening Lammens’ goal.
b'United fans let Sir Jim Ratcliffe know what they think at Burnley on Wednesday night with a banner that read: “Jim Can’t Fix This” and they’ve been targeting the co-owner and the Glazers at Old Trafford. “Just like the Glazers, Jim Ratcliffe’s a c---” was the chant that reverberated from the Stretford End in the 11th minute.
25 minutes: United 0 Brighton 1
Good United move, with Dalot passing forward into Cunha whose low cross is cleared for a corner. Could Sesko have done more to dash across the near post? Some head tennis in the Brighton box before Ugarte’s header skips behind for a goal kick.
22 minutes: United 0 Brighton 1
Veltman drags a volley wide from 25 yards after a Brighton free-kick was cleared. It was a foul by Yoro initially. Then the offside flag goes up, incorrectly, against Sesko whose run was picked out by Dalot.
b'It’s been an eventful first 20 minutes with United starting strongly, missing a golden chance inside two minutes, having the upper hand and then surrendering it to trail. Brighton worked their goal really well, initially down the right touchline before moving inside and switching the play to the left. United look proactive in a 4-2-3-1 but that defensive vulnerability remains. Senne Lammens almost gifted Brighton a second, his intended pass for Kobbie Mainoo sent straight to Welbeck. Credit to the United goalkeeper, he recovered to save from Welbeck and Martinez did enough to put off Rutter on the rebound.
20 minutes: United 0 Brighton 1
Mainoo with a cross to the back post which was just too high for Cunha who was always reaching for it. The United midfield has had a lively start to the game.
17 minutes: United 0 Brighton 1
This is an open game, and there was a half chance for Sesko who tried to lob Steele but he did not get enough on the effort and it was an easy save for the Brighton goalkeeper.
14 minutes: United 0 Brighton 1
Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt are in the directors’ box alongside Ferguson.
And Brighton really should be 2-0 up! Lammens tried to thread a pass to Mainoo and Welbeck intercepted at the edge of the box, and the Brighton forward looked sure to pass the ball into an unguarded net.
Credit Lammens, who recovered to save the shot, and with the ball bouncing towards the line, Rutter could not direct it into the net. Huge let off.
GOOOAALL! Gruda gives Brighton the lead
United missed the game’s first chance and they have been punished. Nice move from Brighton from right-to-left, with Welbeck overlapping Gomez to stand up a chipped cross into the danger area. Rutter’s header was saved by Lammens but Gruda was there to slam home the rebound.
Brighton strike first against Man Utd 💥
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 11, 2026
Brajan Gruda gives the Seagulls the lead at Old Trafford ⚽️
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUKpic.twitter.com/T6vpKkBYvN
8 minutes: United 0 Brighton 0
Gomez threatens for Brighton, and Dorgu defends well at the expense of a corner. United defend, but Brighton win the second ball and enjoy their first serious spell of possession in the United half.
6 minutes: United 0 Brighton 0
Positive start from United against a Brighton team who have made a raft of changes. Fernandes takes a free-kick short, and then Dorgu is fouled by Hinshelwood.
From the next free-kick, Fernandes is teed up by Mainoo and his low shot almost crept into the corner but a big right hand by Steele pushed the ball around the pot.
2 minutes: United 0 Brighton 0
United are certainly attacking with a back four. Mount is tucked in off the right with Dalot on his outside. Mainoo and Ugarte the midfield pair with Fernandes in front of them. Cunha off the left and Sesko through the middle.
And Dalot is in for the game’s first big chance! Brighton’s defence parted in alarming fashion but Steele made himself big to make a save with his legs.
Then Dalot shoots over the bar from the edge of the box.
KICK OFF!
Brighton get this FA Cup third-round tie started.
The players on their way out
Roy Keane this week said he was “hanging on like a bad smell” but Sir Alex Ferguson is watching from the stands again.
The Stretford End has a banner that reads: “Jim Can’t Fix This.”
The teams
Man Utd XI: Lammens, Dalot, Yoro, Martinez, Dorgu, Mainoo, Ugarte, Cunha, Fernandes, Mount, Sesko
Subs: Bayindir, Heaven, Maguire, Malacia, Casemiro, Jack Fletcher, Tyler Fletcher, Lacey, Zirkzee
Brighton XI: Steele, Hinshelwood, Gomez, Veltman, Coppola, Gross, Gruda, Kadioglu, Rutter, Boscagli, Welbeck
Subs: Verbruggen, Dunk, van Hecke, Watson, Kostoulas, Mitoma, Ayari, Tasker, Howell
Quite possibly the worst foil FA Cup I have ever seen
Good to see some pre-match traditions are still alive
The next generation of Reds 🇾🇪 pic.twitter.com/vLz3EX4ouz
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 11, 2026
Brighton line-up
TEAM NEWS! 🚨 Our #MUNBHA starting XI. 👊 pic.twitter.com/JvdxeOlYya
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) January 11, 2026
Fabian Hürzeler has made a number of changes from the draw at Manchester City, but United should beware Diego Gómez. The Paraguayan has only scored three league goals this season, but has five in cup competitions and could be a big threat alongside captain Danny Welbeck and Georginio Rutter.
Man Utd line-up: Mainoo starts
Presenting your United XI for today's #FACup third-round tie 📋🏆
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 11, 2026
A strong team named by Darren Fletcher, who brings in Kobbie Mainoo. The England midfielder was out in the cold under Ruben Amorim, and did not start a game for the Portuguese since United’s shock exit to Grimsby in the Carabao Cup in August. But United fans will be delighted to see one of their home-grown talents back in the starting XI. Benjamin Sesko retains his place following his double against Burnley.
Fletcher in United dugout for final time?
Darren Fletcher takes charge of Manchester United for what could be the final time before a more permanent temporary head coach is appointed, with Brighton likely to prove tricky opponents in the FA Cup third round.
There were encouraging signs for United at Burnley in midweek, when they peppered the home side with 30 shots on goal, but in the final analysis it was another game in which they dropped points against a struggling team.
Brighton earned a highly creditable draw with Manchester City thanks to Kaoru Mitoma’s goal and are looking to avenge an FA Cup semi-final defeat by United three seasons ago.
Crystal Palace’s FA Cup triumph last season has applied some pressure on Brighton to end their own long wait for the first major trophy in the club’s history. Given how stable they are as a Premier League team, and how smart they are as an operation, it is probably high time they won one of the domestic cups.
The closest they came was the 1983 FA Cup final, when they were beaten 4-0 by Ron Atkinson’s Manchester United in a replay following a 2-2 draw at Wembley. Brighton had been relegated from the first division that season, and it was a good effort to take a United team featuring a midfield axis of Bryan Robson and Ray Wilkins to a second game.
United have been knocked out in the FA Cup third round in just two of their last 40 ties at this stage, losing 1-0 to Leeds United in 2009-10 and 2-1 to Swansea City in 2013-14.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer held face-to-face talks with Manchester United yesterday over a return as interim head coach with Solskjaer’s main rival for the job, Michael Carrick, understood to have met with United officials in person on Thursday
Full team news on the way shortly.
Category: General Sports
