Manchester United vs Brighton LIVE commentary: Red Devils aim to put off-field crisis behind them – kick-off time, team news and how to follow

Manchester United will look to put their off-field woes behind them with a return to action against Brighton, live on talkSPORT this afternoon.

The Red Devils have endured a mixed start to the Premier League season in eleventh having won two and lost two in their opening four games.

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But Erik ten Hag then suffered a rough international break, which started with a public feud with Jadon Sancho after their 3-1 defeat to Arsenal.

The United boss will now also be without fellow winger Antony, who is taking time away after allegations of domestic abuse, which he denies.

High-flying Brighton now have the chance to inflict further misery on the club having done the double over Ten Hag’s men last season.

The Seagulls are three points above United in sixth and secured an impressive 3-1 victory over Newcastle before the break.

Man United vs Brighton: talkSPORT coverage

This Premier League clash will take place on Saturday, September 16.

Kick-off at Old Trafford will take place at 3pm.

talkSPORT 2 will have live and EXCLUSIVE coverage of this match, which will not be broadcast on UK TV due to the 3pm blackout rules.

Commentary will be provided by Ian Danter and former Arsenal striker Perry Groves.

To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream.

You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.

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Man United vs Brighton: Team news

The hosts will be without Antony for the immediate future, while Sancho remains unavailable after crunch talks with Ten Hag.

The club announced on Thursday that he will train away from the first-team squad for a period.

Sofyan Amrabat is unlikely to make his debut having had to pull out of the Morocco squad through injury.

Mason Mount and Raphael Varane are both closing in on returns but this game will come too quickly for them.

Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and Amad Diallo are all longer absentees; however, Lisandro Martinez is fit to feature.

Brighton could unleash Barcelona loan star Ansu Fati for his debut with both Danny Welbeck and Evan Ferguson doubts.

Julio Enciso and Jakub Moder are battling lengthy injuries on the sidelines, while Tariq Lamptey is struggling with a knee issue.

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Man United vs Brighton: What has been said?

Ten Hag on the threat Brighton will pose: “It is typical we have two great games in spring against them and we know we have to play tomorrow to our best because they will sacrifice and suffer because it gives you a lot of options so really looking forward.”

On how United will cope without Antony or Sancho, he added: “You have sometimes setbacks in seasons, players are injured or for other reasons are not available so you construct a squad and the squad is very good and the players who are available and motivated to give a good performance.”

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Man United vs Brighton: Match facts

• Among players with 5+ non-penalty Premier League goals since the start of last season, only Erling Haaland (92) and Roberto Firmino (110) have a better mins/non-penalty goal rate than Brighton’s 18-year-old Evan Ferguson (116). Indeed, the only players to score more goals overall in the competition while aged 18 or below than the Irishman’s 10 are Michael Owen (28), Wayne Rooney (15), and Francis Jeffers (12).
• No player has assisted more goals in the Premier League this season than Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma (3), whose 14 chances created from open play are the most of any player this term. Seven of his chances created have come following a ball carry (moving 5+ metres with the ball), also the most of any player.
• Excluding own goals, Bruno Fernandes has either scored (4) or assisted (2) six of Manchester United’s last eight Premier League goals against Brighton (75%). Indeed, only against Aston Villa and Leeds (both 6) has the Portugal international scored more goals in the competition than he has versus the Seagulls (4).
• Brighton have recorded more high turnovers than any side in the Premier League this season (49), also having more shots from such situations than anyone else (13). They also have the lowest PPDA average (passes per defensive action outside of the pressing team’s defensive third) of any side in the Premier League this term (8.7).
• Man Utd have won each of their last eight Premier League games at Old Trafford, while they last enjoyed a longer home winning run in the competition in March 2013 (12) en route to winning their last league title under Alex Ferguson.
• After winning 4-1 at Wolves last month, Brighton are looking for successive Premier League away wins for the first time since a run of three from November-January last season. The Seagulls have scored at least once in each of their last 15 away league matches, with the club record for this standing at 16 games, achieved in League One from August 2009 to February 2010.
• Manchester United have lost two of their four Premier League games this season (W2), having only lost two of their final 11 league games of last term (W8 D1). Defeat to Brighton would see the Red Devils suffer as many as three defeats in their first five matches of a league campaign for the first time since 1989-90 under Alex Ferguson.
• Manchester United have only lost four consecutive Premier League games against an opponent twice previously, doing so against Liverpool (Dec 2000 – Jan 2002) and Man City (Apr 2013 – Nov 2014).
• Brighton have won their last three league games against Manchester United, as many as they had in their first 17 against them (D2 L12).
• Manchester United lost this exact fixture 2-1 on the opening weekend last season, having won eight and drawn one of their nine previous home league games against Brighton.