Having discussed MK Dons already it is almost rinse and repeat for Charlton. Another League One side that are currently without a manager, except perhaps on this occasion Ben Garner can count himself slightly unfortunate to lose his job.

There has been something of a malaise around Charlton Athletic for a while under the current ownership and it appears as though something is about to change with speculation that a buyer, or potential buyers, have been interested in the club. On the pitch this is having a big effect on how the season is going for the Addicks.

There has been a lack of overall strategy in the players recruited and the style that a manager of Charlton might want to play. Though most of the players are good enough for the level, there isn’t as much joined-up thinking as there should be and this has meant that a team that could’ve been fighting for promotion from League One is, instead, in mid-table and looking more down than up.

The performance and result against Bristol Rovers at the weekend was poor. If Brighton have done their homework then it will pay for them to use their high pressing style really dynamically from the first whistle and try to keep the pressure on the Charlton players. If Brighton are able to use their superior Premier League speed, endurance, and technique to good effect then this should be a one-sided match.

Roberto De Zerbi used a partially rotated XI away at Arsenal in the previous round. Given the lack of matches going into this match I would expect the Italian to be at least as strong as that in this tie. De Zerbi’s style means that Brighton are unlikely to take this lightly against any opposition and I like the Seagulls to get out of the traps early and keep going.

Erik ten Hag may well see this competition as the main chance of silverware for his team, given the teams already knocked out at this stage. His team against Aston Villa in round three was a partial rotation and it was a good performance against a team against a team that had beaten them in the Premier League a few days beforehand.

Most people will be expecting United to beat Burnley fairly convincingly but the EFL Championship leaders will no doubt have something to say about that. The headlines and build-up will no doubt concentrate on Manchester City legend Vincent Kompany leading his team to Old Trafford, and perhaps that will light a fire underneath the Belgian. However, from observing him at close quarters in the Championship this season Kompany seems to be the type of character who will not change his approach based upon outside factors such as that.

The cap-wearing, ultra-composed former central defender has Burnley playing the most attractive football in the whole EFL this season. For those Premier League or Man Utd fans that are expecting the Burnley they will have seen in the PL under Sean Dyche, this will be a surprising encounter for them. Burnley will take it to Man Utd but in a controlled, measured way, with the football on the ground for the most part.

Burnley have an exceptional defensive record. This is mainly because they control all of their matches with possession and have a well-set rest defence, which makes them effective when defending the counter-attack. There is enough pace in the backline to push high up and engage Man Utd and I suspect that this will be the way that Kompany goes about trying to play at Old Trafford.

Manchester United are undoubtedly favourites to win, but Burnley have the ability to keep it close and to answer back if they go behind. I do like their chances of scoring at Old Trafford so the price for both teams to score being near even money is enough to tempt me into that bet. Burnley +2 was another genuine consideration but I will take the longer price and hope that both teams will find the net.