📅 September 15, 2026

Manchester United v Brighton Programme: Baleba’s Wait, Darlow’s Debut and a 112th League Cup Tie

By Mav Jones · Manchester United fan writer

Carlos Baleba is on page 38 of Wednesday’s programme, and on page 68 he’s number 20 in the United squad list. He still hasn’t played a minute for the club. The ankle problem he brought from Brighton has kept him out since the move in the final week of August, and the first team he could face in a red shirt is the one he left. Manchester United v Brighton, Carabao Cup third round, Old Trafford, Wednesday 16 September, 8pm UK and 3pm Eastern.

We read all 68 pages of United Review Vol 88 Issue 04. These are the parts worth knowing before Wednesday.

Carrick’s notes: the derby, then move on

Carrick starts with Sunday. “Sunday’s Manchester derby was extremely frustrating for a number of reasons, but we have to move on quickly now and focus on getting back to winning ways.” The 0-1 against ten men is described elsewhere in the programme as a defeat “due to a controversial Erling Haaland goal”.

The rest of his column reads as a squad-rotation warning. “The fixtures are coming thick and fast ahead of the international break next week; we have a squad full of talent with everybody pushing to play.” And the target is plain: “Our objective is clear: to reach the next round of this competition.” It’s the third home game in a week, after Sabah and City.

Baleba’s 12 pages

The feature is built around one word: waiting. Lille kept him in the reserves in National 3 after bringing him from Cameroon at 18, didn’t let him have a mobile phone, and gave him 13 reserve appearances before a senior debut against Auxerre. At Brighton, De Zerbi drip-fed him substitute minutes, then a League Cup game at Stamford Bridge, then a league start. “I’m very patient,” Baleba said at the time. “I can be patient, no problem. I’m not someone who rushes or wants to rush things.”

The numbers from his last full seasons show why United paid for him. In 2024/25 he made 34 Premier League appearances, led Brighton for tackles, interceptions and ball recoveries, and was their Young Player of the Season. His 30-yard stoppage-time winner against West Ham won the league’s Goal of the Month. The programme also confirms the ankle “had disrupted the latter stages of his pre-season work at Brighton” and the deal went through anyway.

Don’t expect him on Wednesday. The match preview says he “is working his way back from injury”, and it lists the midfield that is fit: Mainoo, called “a standout performer”, Tielemans, who has started all five games, Andrey Santos and Mason Mount, back from the minor injury that ended a strong pre-season.

The record against Brighton

• All competitions: played 38, won 22, drawn 6, lost 10.
• Last season: three meetings: 4-2 at home in October, 1-2 at home in the FA Cup in January, 3-0 at the Amex in May. That’s 8-4 on aggregate; the programme prints 8-5, which the three scores don’t add up to. The one defeat was the one that knocked United out of a cup.
• League Cup: this is the fourth League Cup meeting. A two-legged second-round tie in 1992/93, then a 3-0 win at the Amex behind closed doors in 2020 under Solskjaer.
• Bruno Fernandes has six goals against Brighton, the most of any United player in the fixture’s history. The sixth came on the final day of 2025/26.
• Bryan Mbeumo has three goals in two league games against them for United: two in the 4-2 home win last October and one in the 3-0 in May. Count his Brentford years and it’s six goals and three assists in ten Premier League games.
• Carrick has a perfect record against them: a 2-1 FA Cup win as a Spurs player in 2005 and the final-day win last season.

United in this competition

Six League Cup wins, the most recent in 2023. United entered for the first time in 1960/61, and Wednesday is their 112th League Cup game at Old Trafford. The first 111 produced 81 wins, 14 draws and 16 defeats, a 73% win rate, with 238 goals scored and 97 conceded.

The programme is honest about last season: “the Reds falling at the first hurdle in both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup.”

Brighton: fewer stars, same system

Brighton finished eighth last season and have only once been past the fourth round of this competition, reaching the last eight in 1978/79. They lost Jan Paul van Hecke, top scorer Danny Welbeck, Baleba and James Milner in the summer, and they’ve still scored 17 goals through eight different scorers in six games, including 4-0 against Aston Villa on the opening weekend and 5-0 at Coventry on Sunday. Before Coventry, only City and Palace had created more big chances than their nine.

Fabian Hurzeler is still only 33 and signed a new three-year deal in May. The tactics page describes counter-pressing to win the ball back within ten seconds, a high line, a 4-2-3-1 and wingers on their natural sides: Diego Gomez on the right, Maxim De Cuyper on the left. His own summary: “We can change a game within two, three minutes. We don’t need a lot.”

Expect changes. The programme points to his habit of rotating in this competition and names the likely starters: Jason Steele in goal if Bart Verbruggen rests, Pascal Struijk (signed from Leeds) needing minutes, Spain Under-21 midfielder Chema Andres, and Malick Yalcouye, left out of Brighton’s Conference League squad but a regular in the league. Up front it’s a choice between Charalampos Kostoulas and Promise David, the 6ft 5in loanee from Union Saint-Gilloise who scored 41 in 82 there. Deadline-day signing Femi Azeez, from Millwall, is also in the squad. Jack Hinshelwood is on their list, but the tactics page says he’s injured.

Karl Darlow, a United fan in goal

The main interview is with Darlow, 35, signed from Leeds in July. He hasn’t played yet (“0 games” in his stats box, as of 11 September), and a cup tie is the obvious place for a debut. He grew up a United supporter: “I’ve got a picture of me on my phone in a Man United jersey.” The Treble season is “the one big one that stands out”.

On what surprised him about the club: “Everywhere you go, you always see United fans… but until you actually step into the building, you don’t quite realise the sheer scale and size of how worldwide United is.” And on his own role: “I want to do myself justice on the pitch when I’m asked to play or given the opportunity to perform.” He’s hoping to be involved with Wales over the international break, starting against Portugal in Lisbon. Asked if he’s been watching Bruno in training: “Yeah, I’m trying to study his penalties!”

Worth a look

• Diogo Dalot reached 250 United appearances on Sunday. Brighton and Liverpool are the teams he’s played most often, 13 times each.
• The referee is Farai Hallam, with Craig Taylor and Conor Brown assisting and Lewis Smith as fourth official.
• Manuel Ugarte, the programme confirms, is rehabbing a long-term knee injury picked up at this summer’s World Cup.
• The United squad list still has JJ Gabriel at 77. The programme went to print before Tuesday’s reports that he’s asked to leave, which we covered here.
• The Under-18s beat league leaders Newcastle 2-0 at the weekend, with goals from Edson DeJonge-Seiros and Noah Ajayi. The Under-21 derby at the City Football Academy was postponed.

How to watch in the US

Kick-off is 3pm Eastern, noon Pacific. The Carabao Cup is on Paramount+ in the US under CBS Sports’ deal, which runs to 2027/28, with selected games free on the CBS Sports Golazo Network. In the UK it’s on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football and ITV1.

Sources: United Review Vol 88 Issue 04, Manchester United v Brighton & Hove Albion, 16 September 2026 (Manchester United, published on Issuu): Carrick’s notes p5, match preview pp6-7, results p9, Darlow interview pp16-20, Brighton pages pp23-27, Baleba feature pp38-42, Dalot p61, team sheet and officials p68. Brighton’s squad and Hinshelwood’s injury as the programme printed them; team news on the day may differ. UK broadcast details from Goal — Manchester United vs Brighton EFL Cup preview. US rights from RenderFoot — Where to watch the Carabao Cup in the USA (2026/27) and World Soccer Talk — League Cup TV schedule. Last season’s three scores checked against Al Jazeera (4-2), Sky Sports (1-2) and Sky Sports (0-3). Accurate as of Tuesday 15 September 2026.