Aside from rivals Manchester City, the one team clubs do not want to face right now is Brighton.
The Seagulls are flying high in the Premier League and are on course for European football next season, currently in seventh. They have lost just once in their last nine matches, a record matched by Manchester United.
It’s no surprise that many were viewing Brighton as a tougher test than Sevilla ahead of Thursday, an assessment that now looks more ominous as the Wembley arch looms.
READ MORE: Sevilla defeat shows Erik ten Hag has to get ruthless
Bruno Fernandes is back after missing Sevilla through suspension which will make a huge difference, but so will the absences of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane. United have bounced back from defeats this season but their injuries make the task harder against Brighton.
That said, United will be the favourites and a few players have a point to prove after a dismal result against Sevilla and ahead of the summer transfer window. Harry Maguire would have been one but for his suspension from the clash.
His blunder for the opening goal in Spain is as much on David de Gea, who is currently in contract talks with his current deal set to expire this summer. The goalkeeper has undoubtedly been a fantastic servant to the club for over a decade, and is the last remaining squad member of the 2012/13 title-winning squad.
However, football has moved on over the last decade and De Gea’s howler for Sevilla’s third depicted the problem Erik ten Hag is wanting to solve - having a shot-stopper who is also good with his feet.
The Spaniard has made a number of crucial saves this season and he can reassert his stature in contract talks with a heroic display against Brighton. He will undoubtedly be kept on but for how long and whether competition is brought in still needs to be decided.
MEN Sport understands United are open to offloading Anthony Martial this summer. He has missed more than 30 matches this season through injury and came off with a knock against Sevilla on Thursday.
If he is unavailable for the semi-final then the writing may be on the wall for the Frenchman. But if he is fit to play, he can use the match as a catalyst for the remainder of the season to try and save his United status.
No one is questioning Martial’s quality - he has just under a goal contribution a game this season. But in order to be effective and provide the cutting edge, you need to be on the pitch and Martial hasn’t been available when United have needed him most. He can start afresh this weekend.
Another player who is being asked to do more in crucial moments is Jadon Sancho. He has done remarkably well to come back from his time away from the squad over the festive period but his crowning glory moment this season came in the 2-1 home win over Liverpool - all the way back in August.
He is yet to come up trumps in crunch moments and MEN Sport understands that patience is starting to wear thin regarding the winger. He will almost certainly be kept on over the summer but the year beyond will be important.
Marcel Sabitzer has done well since his loan move in January and has three goals in 14 matches - a better ratio than striker Wout Weghorst. While the latter will likely not be signed on, the jury still remains out on Sabitzer.
If United are to push on next season, the Reds need more than a squad member who ticks over nicely. He showed what he can do in the first leg against Sevilla but needs more moments like that in the final month of the season to secure a permanent move.
He went missing in Seville and he does not get into Ten Hag’s first-choice starting XI. The United boss needs competition, not a rotation player. All four players have something to prove and what better stage to do it on than at Wembley.
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