Maguire and Mount doubtful vs Brighton; Martínez still out — United rocked pre-weekend

Another stumble for Manchester United’s preparation: Harry Maguire and Mason Mount are both doubtful for the weekend trip to face Brighton after suffering knocks, while Lisandro Martínez remains sidelined and hasn’t returned to team training. From an opponent’s vantage point, this is the kind of disruption that shreds cohesion on set pieces and in build-up. United’s depth will be stretched, and the timing favors Brighton’s press and width. Don’t expect quick turnarounds here—these issues rarely resolve overnight. If anything, the absence of Martínez keeps United’s back line guessing, and that uncertainty is exactly what a well-drilled Brighton will target.

The update emerged during Manchester United’s pre-match media duties ahead of their Premier League meeting with Brighton this weekend. The head coach confirmed fresh doubts over Harry Maguire and Mason Mount following minor knocks, and added that Lisandro Martínez has not yet rejoined full first-team sessions. The context is a congested early-season schedule, with United’s training load being managed while Brighton prepare under Fabian Hürzeler’s aggressive, front-foot approach. The timing and nature of the setbacks leave selection calls late into the week, with final fitness checks expected after the last tactical run-through at the training ground.

🚨 BREAKING: Ruben Amorim has said Harry Maguire and Mason Mount are both doubts to face Brighton this weekend after suffering knocks. Lisandro Martinez still out and yet to return to team training.

@UtdXclusive

Impact Analysis

From the rival dugout, this is a gift. Take Martínez first: his absence removes United’s best left-sided distributor and most proactive defender stepping into midfield. Without him, United’s first phase becomes slower and more predictable, inviting Brighton’s well-synced press to jump passing lanes. It also hurts United’s capacity to defend transitions on the front foot, as Martínez often compresses space and triggers counter-presses.

Maguire’s doubt dents United’s aerial security on both ends. He’s their primary target on attacking set pieces and a dominant box defender. Brighton, a set-piece-savvy side, will relish the chance to flood the near post and isolate less imposing markers. If Maguire sits, United’s rest defense also loses his vocal organization—small details that decide tight games.

Mount’s potential absence strips United of vertical running between the lines and late entries into the box. He’s the “third-man” link in many of United’s best sequences; without him, ball progression risks becoming U-shaped and sterile. That, in turn, encourages Brighton’s wing-backs to push higher, pinning United deep and forcing hurried clearances.

Stack all three together and you see a structural wobble: compromised build-up, diluted set-piece threat, and less control in the half-spaces. For Brighton, it’s a green light to press high early, draw fouls around the area, and rotate runners across United’s right channel. Unless United find a flawless stop-gap pairing at center-back and a willing presser in midfield, the imbalance will show.

Reaction

Online chatter split fast. Many United supporters pleaded for calm, hoping the knocks to Maguire and Mount are precautionary rather than serious, but the exasperation over “Mount injured again” boiled over in several threads. Others pivoted straight to solutions: a section argued for a back line reshuffle with academy minutes for a youngster at center-back, while a few floated a switch in attacking personnel if Mount can’t go.

There was also a wave of optimism centered on the academy, sparked by reports of a 15-year-old prospect joining a senior session—fans framed it as proof the club’s long-term pipeline is intact even as the senior squad stutters. Meanwhile, neutrals and rival supporters circled the fixture as a litmus test of United’s depth, some suggesting Brighton’s shape under Fabian Hürzeler is tailor-made to exploit a patched-up defense.

Several voices highlighted set pieces as the swing factor without Maguire; others questioned whether United could control transitions without Martínez’s aggressive stepping. A smaller group remained bullish that late fitness checks could flip the narrative, but the prevailing mood leaned wary: too many moving parts, too little time, and a Brighton side that won’t blink.

Social reactions

We get squad depth nothing do us

juud (@jude_nzuruike)

If quoting Scripture becomes a crime in Finland, tomorrow it could be anywhere. Stand with Päivi Räsänen!

CitizenGO (@CitizenGO)

After that tough game at Anfield, this isn't too shocking. Now's the time for the team to show what they've got. Big chance for some players to shine! 💪 #MUFC

CBD-UTD (@yungemma18)

Prediction

Reading the tea leaves, I don’t expect rapid returns. When a coach flags two fresh doubts this close to matchday and another key defender hasn’t resumed full team work, history says timelines slip. I’d brace for Martínez to miss multiple games, with Maguire’s availability decided at the last minute—best case, a bench role; worst case, ruled out. Mount’s pattern suggests caution, and if there’s any lingering discomfort, United will likely hold him back.

Tactically, Brighton should key on United’s right half-space and set-piece deficiencies. Expect Hürzeler to press the first pass into midfield, force United wide, and trap the full-back. Early corners and free-kicks will be targeted at the near-post dart and far-post overload—United must survive that opening storm. In response, United may compact their block, prioritize direct outlets, and rely on individual breaks rather than extended possession.

If United find a steady center-back pairing and a runner to replicate Mount’s vertical threat, they can drag the game into a grind. If not, Brighton’s momentum and structure tilt the balance. Edge to Brighton on chances created, and unless United’s keeper has a statement day, the metrics will skew toward the hosts.

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Conclusion

From where I’m sitting—having seen plenty of squads wobble under late fitness clouds—this feels like one obstacle too many for United’s coherence. Losing Martínez’s tempo-setting and Maguire’s set-piece gravity simultaneously strips the side of its spine, while Mount’s doubt removes the glue between midfield and attack. You can paper over one absence; three in the same structural corridor is where performances fray.

Brighton won’t need an invitation. Their press thrives on hesitant build-up and disjointed spacing; United are flirting with both. Could late tests flip one or two statuses? Sure. But planning on miracles is not a strategy. If United nick a result, it’ll come from disciplined distances, ruthless transition finishing, and a goalkeeper performance that erases expected goals. Otherwise, the probability tree favors a hard afternoon and an even harder debrief.

Big picture: until Martínez is back in full training and Mount strings together uninterrupted weeks, United will play with a margin for error that’s razor-thin. That’s no way to navigate the Premier League grind.