Manchester City vs Manchester United - FA Cup Match Preview
The biggest third round FA Cup tie of the weekend takes place this early afternoon as Manchester United and Manchester City clash in a 1pm tie, live on ITV 1.
Injury hit Manchester United will be without nine first-team players, including important figures Nemanja Vidic and Ashley Young. Also out will is Johnny Evans. Chris Smalling is a doubt as he is recovering from a battle with illness. Darren Fletcher and Michael Owen are long-term absentees. After their disastrous partnership on Wednesday in their defeat at St. James's Park, Ferguson looks like he will be forced to field Phil Jones and Rio Ferdinand again together. Anders Lindegaard will probably continue in goal. For City, the African brothers Kolo Toure and Yaya Toure have left for the African Cup of Nations. Mario Balotelli is a doubt with an ankle injury as are Samir Nasri (illness) Eden Dzeko (knee). Gareth Barry is also out as is Owen Hargreaves.
Line-ups from;
Man City (from): Hart, Richards, Zabaleta, Lescott, Kompany, Savic, Kolarov, Clichy, Johnson, Milner, De Jong, Nasri, Silva, Aguero, Dzeko, Onuoha, Pantilimon. Man United (from): De Gea, Lindegaard, Amos, Rafael, Ferdinand, Evra, Jones, Fryers, Cole, Carrick, Valencia, Park, Gibson, Anderson, Nani, Giggs, Rooney, Welbeck, Berbatov, Hernandez, Diouf, Keane.