Erik ten Hag has a chance to make serious waves at Manchester United this season. Many expected his first campaign to act as a settling-in period, but the Dutch manager is already in the race for a Top Four finish alongside competing for silverware.
The team's 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest all but confirmed their place in the Carabao Cup final where they will face one of Newcastle or Southampton, but Ten Hag is unlikely to abandon the team's FA Cup run because of it.
United defeated an Everton side managed by Frank Lampard, 3-1 in the previous fixture to progress to the foruth round. A fourth-minute curled strike from Antony, an own-goal from Conor Coady and a penalty deep in extra time from Marcus Rashford confirmed the win.
READ MORE: Keane explains what Lisandro Martinez adds to United
Since the resumption of club football, United have only lost once in all competitions, so Reading, who are sitting 14th in the Championship table, should prove no issue. This, combined with fixture congestion, may mean that Ten Hag names a rotated side for the game against the Royals, who are managed by ex-United midfielder Paul Ince.
But when is the fixture, how can you watch it, and what happened last time the two teams met? Let's take a look down below:
Kick-off time
Date: Saturday 28th January
Time: 8:00 pm (GMT) / 3:00 pm (ET)
Location: Old Trafford, Manchester
Where can I watch it?
United's game against Reading will be broadcast live in the United States on ESPN+. If you're unable to watch the match live, highlights will be posted to the club's official YouTube channel after the fixture and you can also follow all the action on the Manchester Evening News live blog.
Early team news
Harry Maguire is back in contention after serving a one-game suspension due to yellow cards against Nottingham Forest in midweek. Luke Shaw was also unavailable due to illness but may return to the squad.
Jadon Sancho and Axel Tuanzebe have all returned to training after a long absence, while there are still question marks over whether Diogo Dalot and Anthony Martial will be available. Donny van der Beek is out for the season.
What happened last time the two teams met?
United's last fixture against Reading also came in the FA Cup in 2019. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was the manager and oversaw a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Juan Mata and Romelu Lukaku.
In fact in 22 meetings between the sides, United have only ever lost once - back in 1927. They have won 14 of the remaining 21 fixtures while drawing seven.
Find the Footballs on the MEN website and you could win £1,000. To find out more and register to play for FREE, click here.
READ NEXT:
