With Newcastle 3-0 up when they returned to the away dressing room at Brentford, the FA Cup took precedence for Erik ten Hag at Brighton.

Lisandro Martinez's substitution after an hour was planned, Bruno Fernandes was sensibly preserved and Kobbie Mainoo got a breather for the final 15 minutes. Those three will observe the national anthem on the Wembley pitch.

Sofyan Amrabat and Amad, also substituted, may be in the dugout. Their removals were likely more about managing workload. Amad had never started three successive games for United, never mind three within a week. Amrabat had not had a three-game run in the United XI since December.

Amrabat was playing his way into the cup final XI until the win at Brighton. He clocked 87 minutes against Arsenal and played the duration of the win over Newcastle, so perhaps those excursions contributed to his careless 69 minutes in Hove.

That has made one of Ten Hag's selections straightforward. Casemiro must go back into midfield with Kobbie Mainoo now United have cover at centre half.

Martinez came through his 59 minutes unscathed, Raphael Varane got minutes, Jonny Evans is fit, Willy Kambwala was on the bench and Victor Lindelof participated in training last week. Keeping Casemiro at centre half would be illogical.

Varane and Casemiro are on their last legs and Saturday could be their last dance in elite football. Between them, they have played in seven Champions League finals and won all of them. United need two of the best in their position over the past decade to start in their best positions at Wembley.

Evans has had more playing time than Varane since his return at Crystal Palace just over a fortnight ago yet he was recruited as a fifth-choice centre back. Varane has had a variable career at United and is prone to breakdowns but is still a formidable foil for Martinez.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka is a starter by default as one of only two senior and fit full backs. Wan-Bissaka and Dalot have started 12 consecutive games and the former has returned to the right for the last three.

This weekend is likely to mark the final appearances in a United shirt for some players and Wan-Bissaka is one of them. He was their only starter who performed at a laudable level in last year's final, making a contest of the occasion by cushioning the ball onto Jack Grealish's hand to win United a penalty.

Alejandro Garnacho is such a constant in the United XI he was subjected to another 90 minutes at Brighton. Garnacho has started 37 successive United games and was last on the bench against City for the Old Trafford derby in late October.

Logic would dictate that Rasmus Hojlund, United's only striker and scorer in the wins over Newcastle and Brighton, starts. Hojlund should be fresh enough after a managed workload and the experiment with Fernandes as a false nine has been unconvincing across his three stints there, starting at City in March.

Fernandes has started as the No.10 in only one of the five derbies Ten Hag has managed in. His relocation feels inevitable, particularly with Josko Gvardiol an unlikely attacking threat from left back. Fernandes has started on the right twice against City and scored twice.

That raises the prospect of the fourth forward. Scott McTominay occupied Fernandes's role at the Etihad two-and-a-half months ago but his knack for goals off the bench is a compelling case to list him among the substitutes. Amad has been bright but pitting him against Gvardiol would be a leap.

This is where Marcus Rashford possibly comes in. He has more experience of Manchester derbies than any other teammate and has scored in six of them. Two were winners. Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford and Hojlund is possibly too daring.