Manchester United v Reading: FA Cup fourth round – live

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The teams are out at Old Trafford and just up the M61, Spurs have wrapped up a 3-0 win a Preston. More on that here:

Harry Maguire v Andy Carroll should be good fun. Maguire is playing for his future at Old Trafford, and Carroll is the dictionary definition of “a handful”. Together, they weigh 166kg – exactly the weight of your average reindeer. No, really.

United have hosted Reading twice in the last six years and on both occasions had little difficulty seeing them off. In 2017 Wayne Rooney equalled Bobby Charlton’s goalscoring record in a 4-0 win; two years later Romelu Lukaku clinched a 2-0 win for the home side. In fact Reading have only beaten today’s opponents once in their history … 96 years ago. But there’s a first time for everything.

A spot of pre-match reading, on Old Trafford’s returning antihero:

True to his word, Ten Hag has put out near enough his strongest team, resisting the urge to play Kobbie Mainoo or even Alejandro Garnacho from the start. Harry Maguire comes in for Lisandro Martínez in the only change from Wednesday’s win.

Ince Jr starts for the visitors, as does Andrew Thomas Carroll, so with Wout Weghorst up top for United, both these sides will be spearheaded by big scary brutes. Lovely stuff.

Team news ahoy!

Man United: Man United: De Gea; Malacia, Lindelof, Maguire, Wan-Bissaka; Casemiro, Eriksen, Fernandes; Rashford, Weghorst, Antony. Subs: Heaton, Martinez, Varane, Williams, Fred, Mainoo, Pellistri, Elanga, Garnacho

Reading: Lumley, Hoilett, Baba, Yiadom (C), McIntyre, Holmes, Hendrick, Loum, Ince, Joao, Carroll. Subs: Bouzanis, Guinnes-Walker, Mbengue, Dann, Craig, Fornah, Azeez, Long, Meite

Preamble

“We have to do everything to bring a trophy in.” Those were the words of Erik ten Hag in the wake of Manchester United’s waltz past Nottingham Forest on Wednesday to near enough book their ticket in the EFL Cup final. Now attentions turn to the other domestic cup and right now everything’s coming up Erik, with United’s only defeat since the World Cup break coming in last weekend’s thriller against league leaders Arsenal. Ten games, 23 scored, six conceded and – at long last – zero preening egomaniacs depleting everyone’s will to live. What’s not to like?

Next up it’s Reading, the sort of fired-up underdog that would have had everyone at Old Trafford fearing the worst this time last year, but 12 months on look like the perfect fodder for a momentum-sustaining win. Not least as they have have one win in five and arrive here fresh from a 4-0 clobbering by stoke that led to manager Paul Ince saying that his players had “let the club down”. A win at Old Trafford is a big ask for them, but stranger things have happened.

Ince will certainly be keen for his side to impress on the big stage, likewise Ince Jr (AKA Tom) who is of course among the visitors’ playing staff. As for United, a couple of judicious changes could give one or two the club’s youngsters the chance to do the same.

Kick-off 8pm GMT.