United and Brighton carry combined 15-player injury crisis into Carabao Cup third-round clash

Manchester United and Brighton will contest a Carabao Cup third-round place at Old Trafford on Wednesday night with both squads severely depleted by injury, combining for as many as 15 absentees.

United manager Michael Carrick is navigating a congested fixture list after his side suffered a 1-0 Premier League defeat to Manchester City at the weekend, with Erling Haaland scoring a controversial goal in the derby. The League Cup now offers an immediate opportunity to respond, though Carrick must do so without several key players.

Luke Shaw missed the City defeat and has sat out United’s last two fixtures. Carrick offered cautious optimism over the left-back’s availability but stopped short of a guarantee. “He could possibly be fit for Brighton, but it’s not clear-cut,” Carrick told reporters on Tuesday. “It’s a matter of a few days rather than anything else.”

Carlos Baleba, who joined United from Brighton during the summer, remains sidelined with an ankle problem sustained during his time with the Seagulls. Carrick confirmed the midfielder is edging closer to a return. “He’ll be back in and around the group at some point over the next week or so,” the manager said. “So that means, after the internationals, he should be in good shape.”

Amad Diallo and Matthijs de Ligt are also unavailable. Amad has been out since before the season began, while De Ligt has been absent since last November with a back problem. “Amad, not quite close in terms of days, but we’ll see as the week progresses,” Carrick said. “Matta’s just working his way back, really, so because of the time frame and how it’s been, I don’t really want to put too much of a time frame on it.” Manuel Ugarte and Tom Heaton complete United’s list of confirmed absentees.

Brighton arrive at Old Trafford in similarly difficult circumstances. Striker Stefanos Tzimas suffered a setback during his rehabilitation from a muscle injury, according to manager Fabian Hurzeler, making his involvement unlikely. Yankuba Minteh and Evan Ferguson are long-term casualties with no imminent return date.

Kaoru Mitoma, Jack Hinshelwood and Mats Wieffer are all working their way back from their respective injuries and are edging towards fitness, though their availability for Wednesday’s tie remains uncertain.