Sir Alex Ferguson has named the Manchester United starting team to play Reading in the FA Cup on Monday night, kick off 8pm.
Manchester United team to play Reading: De Gea, Jones, Smalling, Vidic, Buttner, Cleverley, Anderson, Valencia, Young, Welbeck, Chicharito . Subs Ferinand, Giggs, Van Persie
Reading team: Federici, Kelly, Shorey, Mariappa, Morrison, Karacan, Leigertwood, McAnuff, McCleary, Hunt, Le Fondre.
“In many people’s eyes Monday would be, ‘yes, it’s Reading, we have just been to Madrid, it was a great night, Monday will take care of itself’,” the Manchester United boss said.
“Monday can’t take care of itself. We have to take care of that.
“We must get a performance off the players that respects our opponents and also the fact the FA Cup can produce shocks.”
The Scot added: “Reading are a team who are showing plenty of fighting qualities, as you would expect given they are down near the bottom [of the Premier League].
“I will make some changes but I don’t think the incentive to get to the quarter-final is lost on any of the players.
“There is a good spirit and they’re all contributing. Whatever side I pick we’re expected to qualify.”
Head-to-head
• Manchester United have won 10 and lost just one of the 18 previous competitive matches against Reading, which includes a 4-3 win in this season’s Premier League visit to the Madjeski Stadium in December. Wayne Rooney got a brace, and Robin van Persie netted the winner.
• This is the eighth time they’ve been paired with each other in the FA Cup, with United holding a 6-1 lead.
• They last clashed at this fifth round stage in February 2007, when the Royals held United to a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford, before losing the replay by the odd goal in five.
Manchester United
• The most successful club in FA Cup history find themselves facing Premier League opposition for the seventh successive tie, and the 22nd in 27 FA Cup rounds.
• This is the only all-Premier League match-up in the fifth round.
• Sir Alex Ferguson’s treble-chasing outfit are in pursuit of a 12th FA Cup, but have not lifted the trophy since 2004, and have failed to reach the quarter-finals in three of the eight intervening seasons.
• United have won their last five FA Cup ties at Old Trafford, conceding just one goal in the process. They’ve lost to a fellow Premier League club on their own ground only once in nine years; 1-0 to Portsmouth in the sixth round in March 2008.
Reading
• Reading, the 1927 semi-finalists, are chasing their third quarter-final berth in four seasons.
• The Royals have claimed four Premier League scalps in the previous three seasons of FA Cup competition; Liverpool, Burnley, West Bromwich and Everton.
• They need to score three goals to take their all-time total in FA Cup history to 500.
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