Gary Lineker will not present the BBC's coverage of Brighton v Grimsby

Gary Lineker will not be hosting the BBC’s coverage of the FA Cup quarter-final clash between Brighton and Grimsby Town on Sunday.

In a tweet posted on Sunday morning, BBC Sport confirmed the 62-year-old would miss the game due to illness and that former Lioness-turned-broadcaster Alex Scott would step in to present in Lineker’s absence.

The post read: “Due to illness, we've got a line-up change for today's live FA Cup coverage of Brighton v Grimsby on BBC One.

“As viewers will have noticed yesterday, Gary Lineker was struggling with his voice and unfortunately it has deteriorated overnight. Alex Scott will be hosting instead.”

Due to illness, we've got a line-up change for today's live FA Cup coverage of Brighton v Grimsby on BBC One.

As viewers will have noticed yesterday, Gary Lineker was struggling with his voice and unfortunately it has deteriorated overnight.

Alex Scott will be hosting instead. pic.twitter.com/qJGUxqW1oG

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) March 19, 2023

It comes little over a week after Lineker was taken off air by the BBC following an impartiality row over a tweet he wrote in which he compared the government’s asylum policy to that of 1930’s Germany.

In the aftermath of the news Lineker would not be presenting Match of the Day, many of his BBC Sport colleagues walked out in solidarity with him, sending the channel’s television and radio sport schedule into disarray.

Match of the Day was still broadcast last weekend, however, without presenters or commentary and was only 20 minutes long.

Lineker returned to TV screens for Saturday's FA Cup last eight tie between Manchester City and Burnley which saw Erling Haaland net a hat-trick in a 6-0 demolition of the Championship promotion chasers. Julian Alvarez bagged a brace with Cole Palmer also getting on the scoresheet.

Ahead of the game, Lineker said it was "great to be here", while Alan Shearer acknowledged it had been a "difficult situation for everyone concerned" and it was "good to be talking about football again".

Lineker then stressed on Twitter that he was never going to present Match of the Day this weekend, with Mark Chapman taking on that role instead while he focused on the FA Cup games.

Currently enjoying an impressive Premier League campaign this term under boss Roberto De Zerbi, seventh-placed Brighton will go into the game with League Two Grimsby Town as heavy favourites.

Meanwhile, Grimsby’s fairytale run, which saw them edge out Southampton in the last round, has been one of the surprise stories of this season’s FA Cup competition.