'He must understand' - De Zerbi names the Brighton player who has caused him the biggest problem

Brighton will have a chance to avenge their FA Cup semi-final loss at Wembley two weeks as they take on the Red Devils once more.

De Zerbi’s men boosted their confidence last weekend with a thumping 6-0 win against Wolves which boosted their chances of European qualification. The manner of the victory was all the more impressive as they rested their star trio Kaoru Mitoma, Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister.

Fringe players Deniz Undav, Julio Enciso and Billy Gilmour all performed superbly in their absence which gives De Zerbi plenty to ponder ahead of his team selection. After the Wolves match the Albion coach admitted he will have sleepless nights this week as he prepares for another crack at Erik ten Hag’s United.

The Albion boss said Gilmour was the best player on the pitch against Wolves and seeing him back on the bench to face Man United would seem harsh. So to Undav, who scored his first Premier League goals last time out – the second of which was an absolute stunner as he dinked the the ball over the advancing keeper to seal a 6-0 win.

De Zerbi also urged former Union Saint-Gilloise forward Undav to have greater self-belief following his first goals in English football. “Undav is one of my biggest problems in Brighton and I want to explain why,” he said. “He has big potential and he has big quality but it seems like he doesn’t believe in himself.

“And I would like to help him believe more in himself, because he has quality. He has all to be a player in the first XI, but he has to understand faster because the time in football flies.

“Undav is unique in our squad because he scores like a number nine and he has the quality to play like a number 10.”