FA Cup semi-final preview (2024)

by

Adam Bostock

Sunday's last-four tie against Coventry City is the reward for that unforgettable 4-3 win over arch-rivals Liverpool in the quarter-final at Old Trafford, the only home game we have played in the competition this season after winning away at League One club Wigan Athletic (2-0), League Two outfit Newport County (4-2) and our fellow top-flight side Nottingham Forest (1-0).

The man who scored United's winner when we also won 1-0 at Forest in the FA Cup third round in 1990, Mark Robins, is now the manager of our next opponents. And he will no doubt be relishing the opportunity to cause a major upset, given the 21 league places between the clubs make Championship club Coventry the clear underdogs.

Here's all the key information you need as we count down to Sunday's 15:30 BST kick-off under the famous arch of the national stadium.

HOW CAN I FOLLOW THE GAME?

Coventry City v United will kick off at 15:30 BST on Sunday and will be shown free-to-air in the UK on ITV1 and STV, as well as the channels' respective streaming services.

Meanwhile, live radio commentary will be available on MUTV, ManUtd.com and the United App. Either side of the audio, we'll stream live pre-match and post-match shows from Wembley, bringing you all the exciting build-up from 14:25 BST and exclusive interviews with our manager and players after the final whistle.

WHEN CAN YOU SEE THE HIGHLIGHTS?

Due to FA Cup broadcasting rules, all durations of the match highlights will be held back until the following day at 12:00 BST. So set yourself a reminder for midday on Monday to catch our two-minute and 20-minute edits, or even the full 90 or 120 if the semi-final goes to extra time.

TEAM NEWS

United could welcome back Antony after the Brazilian was pictured in training on Tuesday afternoon; our no.21 missed the frustrating 2-2 draw with Bournemouth due to injury.

However, the roll call of unavailable players is still lengthy, particularly at the heart of defence where Harry Maguire and recent Academy graduate Willy Kambwala have started the last two games in the absence of Jonny Evans, Victor Lindelof, Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane.

Scott McTominay lost his race to be fit for last Saturday's game, but an update on the midfielder and other sidelined players could be delivered later this week when Ten Hag holds his pre-match press conference.

As for Coventry, they were missing midfielder Jamie Allen and Japanese winger Tatsuhiro Sakamoto for their Midlands derby defeat, 3-0 at Birmingham City, last Saturday. Kasey Palmer, a key attacking midfielder, will be suspended for the semi-final after being booked in the dramatic quarter-final victory away to Wolves - it was his second yellow card in the competition this season.

Get the lowdown on both squads ahead of our Wembley meeting with Coventry City.

United have only beaten Forest once in the competition - and it started the successful run in 1990.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

The clubs have contested 83 previous fixtures since 1912 but only four have been played in the current millennium.

After beating Coventry by the odd goal at Old Trafford in February 2000, when Andy Cole (2) and Paul Scholes scored in our 3-2 victory, we did the same away at Highfield Road nine months later. Cole netted again and David Beckham's follow-up proved to be the winner in a narrow 2-1 triumph.

A more significant encounter came the following April when, on a wet Easter Saturday, the Reds beat the Sky Blues 4-2 at home in the early kick-off and were then crowned 2000/01 Premier League champions a few hours later as title-race rivals Arsenal suffered a shock 3-0 loss at home to Middlesbrough.

The most recent meeting was more than 16 years ago, on 26 September 2007 - a bittersweet night for current Reds defender Jonny Evans and MUTV pundit Danny Simpson; both made their senior debuts as we were knocked out of the League Cup. Malta international Michael Mifsud scored a goal in each half to give Coventry a surprise 2-0 win on United's hallowed turf.

United 4 Coventry 2 Video

14 April 2001: A United win and favourable results elsewhere could secure a third straight league title.

THIS WEEKEND'S FIXTURES

Although our absolute focus will be on the FA Cup semi-finals, including Saturday's intriguing tie between Chelsea and Manchester City, there are also some important Premier League games this weekend.

SATURDAY 20 APRIL

FA Cup semi-final
Chelsea v Manchester City (17:15 BST)

Premier League
Sheffield United v Burnley
Luton Town v Brentford
Wolves v Arsenal (19:30 BST)

SUNDAY 21 APRIL

FA Cup semi-final
Coventry City v UNITED (15:30 BST)

Premier League
Everton v Nottingham Forest (13:30 BST)
Aston Villa v Bournemouth
Crystal Palace v West Ham
Fulham v Liverpool (16:30 BST)

Kick-offs 15:00 BST unless otherwise stated.

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