21/01/2015 - ManUtd.com, Mark Froggatt
FA Cup preview: Cambridge vs United
Scene-setter: Who says the magic of the FA Cup is dead? This fourth round tie pits English football's most successful club against Cambridge United, a League Two side whose modest Abbey Stadium holds just over 8,000 fans. It is David vs Goliath in every sense and epitomises why everybody loves the world's oldest domestic cup competition.
Form guide: United returned to winning ways on Saturday with a solid 2-0 victory at QPR, where second-half goals from Marouane Fellaini and James Wilson secured three Barclays Premier League points. The Reds might also draw confidence from this month's third round success at Yeovil Town, another Football League outfit with giant-killing ambitions. Cambridge won't be easy opponents, particularly after Richard Money's men secured an excellent 4-0 win over promotion-chasing Newport that boosted confidence ahead of Friday's big kick-off.
Ins and outs: Jonny Evans is a doubt after limping off at Loftus Road, and Luke Shaw missed the trip to London. Robin van Persie could return from an ankle injury, but*Ashley Young is recovering from a hamstring problem. It's intriguing to see who Louis van Gaal selects: will he give ever-present David De Gea a rest and hand Victor Valdes his debut? Has James*Wilson earned a start after his goalscoring display at QPR? We'll learn more at the manager's press conference on Thursday.
We meet again: United and Cambridge have only ever contested two competitive matches, in the League Cup second round in 1991/92. Alex Ferguson's men prevailed over both legs, securing a 3-0 win at Old Trafford and a 1-1 draw at the Abbey Stadium.
Opposition boss: Richard Money is braced for a dramatic return to the spotlight, some 34 years after helping Liverpool win the European Cup as a player in 1981 - and he isn't taking Friday's match lightly. "I'm from a generation where there wasn't anything bigger than the FA Cup and I think this season we've seen a return to the spirit of the competition. The match will generate income but for the players it's a chance to go into football folklore. We're not thinking we've got no chance."
Did you know?*Ex-Reds youth product Luke Chadwick is plying his trade at Cambridge and, as you'd expect, was delighted with the draw. "I'd just been to mums to get my hair cut and I came home and watched it with the Mrs and the kids," he explained this week. "It was the only two numbers we took notice of. When it came out, we were happy at first to be at home and then when Man United came out it was bedlam in the house. The kids were going crazy. It was a great, great draw."
Match officials: Chris Foy takes charge of this match, with Stephen Child and Darren Cann as his assistants. James Adcock is on fourth official duties.