Nigel Clough switched off Manchester United's 4-0 defeat of Everton on Sunday after 10 minutes - but he might not have learned too much more from the following 80.

Clough's Burton Albion head to Old Trafford for the Carabao Cup third-round tie on Wednesday for the first time since their famous FA Cup replay against the Red Devils in 2006.

Back then, United were undergoing a slight rebuilding process under Sir Alex Ferguson ahead of another period of dominance in the Premier League and Europe.

Today, a similar regeneration is happening under Jose Mourinho, with the English giants looking genuine title contenders after another impressive display against the Toffees at the weekend.

Manchester United celebrate on their way to a 4-0 victory over Everton in the Premier League

Clough was suitably impressed by what he saw in the opening stages of that game on television, 24 hours after the Brewers had just secured their own eye-catching result in beating Fulham.

And the United win offered a little more insight, if any was needed, into the challenge Albion will face in Wednesday's tie.

"I watched the first 10 minutes - that was enough!" he said.

"Everton couldn't get out of their half for the first 10 minutes, and that's a team like Everton.

"We envisage something similar.

"I hope we don't concede, I hope somebody doesn't smack one in from 25 or 30 yards like Antonio Valencia did on Sunday - we can do without that.

"We'll try not to make any mistakes and we'll try to get out of our own half if we can.

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho

"The way that they started, as I say, they just penned them in.

"And then he (Valencia) goes and strikes a ball like that - it was incredible.

"My wife said, 'do you want to watch it?' I said, 'no, not really!' so we turned it off."

Not that Clough will have been doing too much planning had he continued watching the match.

Despite Mourinho's reputation for fielding strong teams in cup competitions, it is likely he will make extensive changes from the XI that took to the field against Everton, such is the quality at his disposal.

Romelu Lukaku celebrates scoring in Manchester United's 4-0 win over Everton

Whatever team Mourinho selects, opposite number Clough knows just how good his players will need to be to challenge for their first ever fourth-round spot in the League Cup.

"I don't think you can make plans, because we just have to try to deal with it as best we can," he added.

"We don't know what side they're going to put out.

"Even if nobody who started against Everton plays, you look at the bench and you look at the players just outside of that.

"They have top-quality players, internationals coming on and doing their job.

"We've got to be at our very best just to get anywhere near and compete with them, and try to make it a game."