Man Utd team news: Gruda set to miss trip to Old Trafford

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Charlie Hanson

2025-01-18T22:30+00:00

Brajan Gruda has made ten Premier League appearances so far this campaign. 📷 by James Boardman.

Albion will be looking to back up their win at Ipswich Town with another victory when they head to Manchester United on Sunday, kick-off 2pm.

Team news

Head coach Fabian Hurzeler has said he is expecting Brajan Gruda to miss Sunday's game at Old Trafford.

On the German, Hurzeler said, "He has a small issue, but hopefully he will be back next week."

Fabian's thoughts

On using experience to win at Ipswich: "I think we have experienced a lot of moments during the season where we were not mature enough to win games, and against Ipswich we proved that we are mature, that we learned from these bad experiences.

"Hopefully it was a learning experience for every player, and of course there are some players who are more clever than others, who are more experienced than others, but in the end everyone has to get on one level and they have to learn from each other."

On facing Manchester United: "They're a big team with big tradition, a big stadium. It will be a big challenge for us, but we go there trying to win."

Match facts

Manchester United have lost five of their last six Premier League games against Albion (W1), including both meetings at Old Trafford in that run. Only against Man City (twice) have they lost three in a row at home in the competition.

Albion have won seven of their 15 Premier League meetings with Manchester United – the Seagulls have the highest win rate against the Red Devils of any side in the competition’s history (47%).

None of the 15 Premier League meetings between Manchester United (8 wins) and Brighton (7) have been drawn – only Manchester United vs Wigan has been played more often without any draws in the competition’s history (16).

Each of Manchester United’s last 11 Premier League goals against Brighton have come in the second half of the match. They’ve not scored before half-time in any of their last eight meetings with the Seagulls, their joint-longest run without a first half goal against a side in the competition (also eight v Chelsea between 2013-2016).

This is the sixth time we have faced Manchester United in the Premier League while above them in the league table, and the latest into a season we have done so. Having lost the first two such matches, we have now won each of the last three.

Manchester United lost three of their four Sunday Premier League games under Erik ten Hag this season (D1) but have since lost just one of their seven following the Dutchman’s departure (W3 D3).

Albion have a higher win rate (38.9%) and average more goals per game (1.6) on Sundays than they do any other day of the week on which they’ve played more than 10 games in the Premier League.

There has been at least four goals scored in all four of Albion's Premier League games on a Sunday this season (F8 A9). Their average of 4.3 goals-per-game in these games is the highest of any side on either Saturday or Sunday in the competition this term.

Photo 1/22

Fabian Hurzeler's squad working hard on the training ground ahead of Sunday's Premier League match at Old Trafford. Club photographer James Boardman was at the training ground to capture the action.

Having been involved in six goals in his first four Premier League appearances against Brighton (4 goals, 2 assists), Man Utd’s Bruno Fernandes hasn’t scored or assisted in any of his last six against the Seagulls.

Danny Welbeck and João Pedro scored our goals in their 2-1 victory against Manchester United earlier this season. The only Seagulls player to score home and away against the Red Devils in the same Premier League campaign is Pascal Gross in 2018-19.

Match officials