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Championship team Derby County will welcome Premier League outfit Manchester United at the Pride Park Stadium on Thursday night in the fifth round of the FA Cup. The story surrounding this match will be the reunion of former Manchester United captain and all-time leading goalscorer Wayne Rooney as he will lace his boots and prepare to face his old team in the world's oldest cup competition.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team are on a good run of form and will be looking to advance to the quarter-finals of the competition. On the other hand, 13th-placed Derby will be wanting to cause an upset in a competition famed for its unpredictability.
Derby County vs Manchester United Head-to-Head
The two teams have had several meetings in the 20th century, but have faced each other only thrice in the last 10 years. The Red Devils have won two of those meetings, while Derby emerged victorious last time on penalties in the third round of the League Cup in 2018.
The visitors are in a rich vein of form right now, having not lost in their last eight games in all competitions. Their most recent encounter was a tight draw against Everton, but Solskjaer's team now sit just three points behind Chelsea in the race for the final Champions League spot. The FA Cup is one of the two remaining competitions which Manchester United could win this season, and they will be giving it their all this game.
The story is quite the opposite for Derby County, who have had a disappointing campaign in the Championship, where they currently sit in the 13th spot. They won their most recent game against Sheffield Wednesday, but that is their only victory in the last five games. A win against United would go a long way into rejuvenating their season.
Derby County recent form (all competitions) - WLDDLWW
Manchester United recent form (all competitions) - DWWDWDW
Derby County vs Manchester United Team News
Derby County - Duane Holmes continues his recovery from an ankle injury which he suffered earlier this month, while long-term absentees Ikechi Anya (calf) and Krystian Bielik (knee) will be out for some time. Tom Huddlestone (hamstring) remains out but the club have received a boost in the form of George Evans' return.
Injured - Ikechi Anya, Krystian Bielik, Tom Huddlestone
Doubtful - Duane Holmes
Manchester United - Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford are long-term absentees and neither will take part in this game. This cup game is also too soon for Axel Tuanzebe and Timothy Fosu-Mensah to make their injury returns, and they are not expected to play a part. Anthony Martial started the game against Everton and is fit to play should the manager decide to field him.
Injured - Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford
Doubtful - Axel Tuanzebe, Timothy Fosu-Mensah
Derby County vs Manchester United Predicted Line-ups
Derby County - Ben Hamer; Jayden Bogle, Andre Wisdom, Matthew Clarke, Craig Forsyth; Max Bird, Martyn Waghorn, Wayne Rooney; Tom Lawrence, Jason Knight, Chris Martin
Manchester United - Sergio Romero; Luke Shaw, Phil Jones, Victor Lindelof, Diego Dalot; Andreas Pereira, Scott McTominay, Fred; Jesse Lingard, Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial
Derby County vs Manchester United Prediction
Manchester United will be wanting to go further in the FA Cup, given it is the only domestic trophy they can still win in the present campaign. Manchester United should emerge victorious in this game, owing to Derby's poor form, coupled with the Red Devils' recent unbeaten run.
Verdict - Derby County 1-3 Manchester United
