Brighton spring huge surprises with trio given first starts of the season against Manchester United; two key players missing

Simon Adingra has been given his first league start for Albion, whilst Tariq Lamptey and Adam Lallana also start a match for the first time this season.

Jason Steele – who is sharing the number 1 role with Bart Verbruggen – has been restored in goal, whilst Mahmoud Dahoud and Danny Welbeck also come back into the team.

Also dropping the bench, with Verbruggen, are Billy Gilmour, Joao Pedro and Evan Ferguson. Solly March, Pervis Estupinan and Facundo Buonanotte are not in the squad.

Albion have a very strong bench, completed by summer signings Ansu Fati, Carlos Baleba, James Milner and Igor, as well as Adam Webster.

Selection decisions are rarely straightforward after the international break.

De Zerbi’s men head into the contest in fine form, having won three of their opening four Premier League matches this season, scoring 12 goals.

Republic of Ireland international Ferguson, scorer of a hat-trick when Brighton beat Newcastle 3-1 in their last match, is only fit enough for the bench after the 18-year-old missed his country’s two games during the international break due to a knee injury.

The contest could see Spain forward Ansu Fati make his debut after joining on loan from Barcelona on transfer deadline day.

De Zerbi said pre-match that Buonanotte and Estupinan were tired after long journeys to South America.

Here are the line-ups in full:

Man United: Onana, Dalot, Lindelof, Martinez, Reguilon, Casemiro, McTominay, Eriksen, Fernandes, Rashford, Hojlund

Subs: Bayindir, Evans, Maguire, Wan Bissaka, Gore, Hannibal, Pellistri, Garnacho, Martial

Brighton: Steele, Lamptey, van Hecke, Dunk, Veltman, Groß, Dahoud, Adingra, Lallana, Mitoma, Welbeck

Subs: Verbruggen, Igor, Webster, Milner, João Pedro, Gilmour, Baleba, Ferguson, Ansu Fati