Preview: Big game on Monday, plenty in FA Cup 5th round

Football fans in England will have to wait until Monday for the standout game in the fifth round of the FA Cup when Manchester United travel to London to take on Chelsea.

Watford's Troy Deeney in action with Queens Park Rangers' Jake Bidwell and Toni Leistner - FA Cup Fifth Round - Queens Park Rangers v Watford - Loftus Road, London, Britain - February 15, 2019. (Photo: Reuters)
Watford's Troy Deeney in action with Queens Park Rangers' Jake Bidwell and Toni Leistner - FA Cup Fifth Round - Queens Park Rangers v Watford - Loftus Road, London, Britain - February 15, 2019. (Photo: Reuters)

The match comes in the wake of United's first defeat under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after they were outplayed by Paris Saint Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday and the coach will want to see a recovery to keep the club's only realistic hope of silverware this season alive.

Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial both suffered injuries in the European defeat and will miss out, leaving Solskjaer with some re-shuffling to do in his starting 11.

Chelsea coach Maurizio Sarri is under pressure after last weekend's 6-0 thrashing by Manchester City and although Chelsea won their Europa League tie away to Malmo on Thursday, he needs a big win in order to regain some stock at the club.

Newport County from League Two (fourth tier) provide the glamor of the fifth round as they entertain Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.

Newport are this season's giant killers after knocking Leicester City and Middlesbrough out of the tournament, but a win against the Premier League leaders would be one of the biggest upsets, if not the biggest, in the history of the Cup, even if Guardiola does rest some regular starters ahead of his side's return to Champions League action next week.

The fifth round gets under way on Friday night as Premier League’s Watford were made to sweat to beat lowly Championship club Queens Park Rangers 1-0 and book their spot in the FA Cup quarter-finals for the second time in four seasons.

Wolves coach Nuno Espiritu Santo would also be advised to field his strongest side as his team travel to Bristol City. Bristol City sit fifth in the Championship and have already dispatched top-flight rivals Huddersfield in the third round, but would struggle against an attack of Raul Jimenez, Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho.

Brighton and Derby play what promises to be a fascinating game between a Premier League outfit that hasn't won a league game in 2019 and the second tier side coached by Frank Lampard, who are pushing for promotion to the Premier League.

Keep an eye on Derby winger Harry Wilson as the Welsh international looks to impress and show once and for all he deserves a place on the Premier League stage.

There is a South London derby with League One AFC Wimbledon, who knocked West Ham out in the last round, at home to Millwall, who left Everton by the wayside on the way to the last 16.

Wimbledon hero Scott Wagstaff will be easy for neutrals to recognize after fulfilling a promise to dye his beard in the club colors: blue and yellow!

Elsewhere Crystal Palace can forget their battles against relegation with a trip to face League One side Doncaster Rovers, while Swansea entertain Brentford in a tie between two Championship clubs.

Reuters, Xinhua