**Old Trafford's Carabao Cup nightmare scenario: United are nursing a mixed bag of form, while Brighton rocks in boasting a slick three-win streak.** 🔴

United limped past the weekend City loss and scraped a draw at Everton, but the Sabah FK baggy makes them look sharper than they feel. Brighton's cruised through lately—five past Coventry, a slip at Chelsea, steady elsewhere. The visitors smell opportunity here.

Key storylines:

- **Manchester United's injury crisis is *chef's kiss* not ideal**—de Ligt, Ugarte, Diallo all out; they're shuffling a makeshift backline with Shaw and Maguire carrying heavy load
- **Brighton's form edge is real**—3W in five means they're playing with swagger and clinical finishing is clicking
- **Cup competition always unpredictable**—United's pedigree and home turf matter, but depleted rosters favor the fresher side

Expected lineups:

- **Manchester United**: Lammens, Shaw, Maguire, Armer, Martínez, Fernandes, Tielemans, Mbeumo, Dorgu, Cunha, Rashford
- **Brighton & Hove Albion**: Verbruggen, Boscagli, De Cuyper, Vušković, Kadıoğlu, Groß, Gómez, Kostoulas, Rutter, David, Oriola

Prediction:

**1-2 Brighton.** Lean toward the Seagulls exploiting United's creaky defense and translating hot form into the cup knockout. 🦅

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