FA Cup Sixth Round
Old Trafford
Saturday 8 March; KO: 12:45 BST

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The Reds set aside the chase for the league title and the pursuit of European glory to go in search of a place in the semi finals of the FA Cup.
But Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth stand in United's way…


Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs has recovered from a calf strain and could face Portsmouth in the FA Cup.

Sir Alex Ferguson has a full-strength squad other than Gary Neville, Mikael Silvestre and Ben Foster, who are recovering from long-term injuries.

Pedro Mendes returns to the Portsmouth squad after five weeks out following a minor ankle operation.

Jermain Defoe is cup-tied so Kanu will start up front and John Utaka will move up from the bench to the starting XI.





(from: )


Van der Sar, Brown, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra, Ronaldo, Carrick, Fletcher, Hargreaves, Nani, Rooney, Tevez, Scholes, Giggs, O'Shea, Saha,
Kuszczak, Anderson, Park, Simpson, Pique.




(from: )


Portsmouth (from): James, Ashdown, Johnson, Distin, Campbell, Hreidarsson, Lauren, Aubey, Diop, Diarra, Muntari, Utaka,
Davis, Mendes, Hughes, Kanu, Baros



Quote:

Originally Posted by Portsmouth defender Sylvain Distin: "If we are ready physically and mentally and we keep our shape, we have enough quality to battle against United. "I am not going there to avoid defeat. I am going there to win. "If you go there to avoid defeat, mentally, you are not ready and there is no point in going there."

Form guide:


Since losing to United in the league in January, Portsmouth have been in fairly consistent form,
winning three of their last five and earning a 1-1 draw against Chelsea.
The Reds have lost just once in 13 games in 2008.




Ins and outs:





Ryan Giggs has missed United’s last three games with a calf injury, while Gary Neville is still recovering from long-term injuries.

Otherwise expect the usual squad rotation from Sir Alex.



meanwhile,

have injury concerns over Noe Pamarot (knee) and David Nugent (hernia), while Jermain Defoe is cup-tied.



Star men:



Croatian winger


Niko Kranjcar

makes Pompey tick.

He doesn’t score many goals (he has just four this season), but he is very skilful and creative.


For United, pick one from many.

But


Wayne Rooney

so tireless against Lyon, is due to come into goalscoring form.




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BIG-MATCH FACTS


Manchester United against Portsmouth is the only tie that guarantees a Premier League club in the semi-finals.

Treble-chasing United, the most successful club in FA Cup history, are facing a Premier League club for the 11th successive tie.

They ended Portsmouth's interest in the competition


at the fourth round stage last season.

Portsmouth have not knocked the Red Devils out of the FA Cup for 74 years, and have not won in any competition at Old Trafford
for over half a century.


The League ladder


United are seven places higher than Pompey in the Premier League table.

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Premiership Table:


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Current form



• Won the last three, culminating in Tuesday's 1-0 home win over Lyon to land them a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

• Undefeated in five, and lost one of 13 (all competitions).


Recent FA Cup performance


• The 11 times winners and seven times runners-up, are chasing a record 26th appearance in the semi-finals.
They have failed to reach the last four once in the last four years.



The Manager


• United have never been knocked out by top-flight opposition under Sir Alex Ferguson, and have only failed to reach the final in 12 of 20 attempts.

• They have won the cup a record five times in the stewardship of the current manager, who has led out the side for the final on eight occasions.

• Ferguson's 100th tie in the competition was a most emphatic 4-0 home win in the fifth round over an Arsenal side with different priorities.



FA Cup fact



• Already accounted for



Aston Villa (a)



Tottenham (h)


and



Arsenal (h)


in this cup run.



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Current form


• Sunday's 3-1 league loss to Everton at Goodison Park was their first defeat in five (all competitions).



Recent FA Cup performance


• The 1939 winners and 1929 and 1934 losing-finalists, are hoping to add to their five semi-final appearances.


• This is their best run since reaching the quarter-finals in 2004.
They have not appeared in the last four since 1992, when, as a Second Division side, they went out on penalties to Liverpool.



The Manager


• Harry Redknapp has never won the FA Cup as a manager.
His only Cup success was winning the Intertoto with West Ham in 1999.


FA Cup fact


• Famously held the trophy for seven years after their 4-1 triumph over Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1939, in front of 99,370.
The competition was put in abeyance in 1939 due to the Second World War, so Portsmouth are the longest holders of the cup
in the history of the oldest knock out competition in the world.
Derby were the next winners in 1946.

HEAD TO HEAD

• This seasons Premier League meetings resulted in a 1-1 draw at Fratton Park when


both sides ended with 10 men

and 2-0 to United at Old Trafford in January, courtesy of a double from


Cristiano Ronaldo