The Red Devils are hoping to avoid an FA Cup upset since Newport County has been playing well lately—they have only lost once in their last ten games—and they have advanced through replays in the past rounds. Newport is fortunate to have the chance to host a Premier League powerhouse, and they want to make the most of it.
Manchester United, on the other hand, has had a mixed recent record, having lost to opponents with lower rankings despite winning two of their last five games. The Red Devils are focused on winning the FA Cup, but they also want to make amends for past mistakes.
Start time: Sunday, January 28, 2024, at 9:30 p.m. GMT (10:00 p.m. IST)
Where: Rodney Parade
For all competitions, form Newport County: D-D-W-W-W
Manchester United: L-W-L-W-D in every competition
Players to observe
Will Evans, County of Newport
Will Evans, a forward, has been leading the attack for Newport this season and has outperformed his teammates in terms of numbers. Evans’s 16 goal contributions in League Two are almost twice as many as those of Omar Bogle, who is in second position with 9 G/A.
The Welshman, 26, is in a good position to continue his good form after contributing to and scoring in Newport’s 3-1 victory against Eastleigh in the Third Round replay.
Hojlund Rasmus (Manchester United)
Manchester United has struggled to score goals on a regular basis, with different players bearing the brunt of the attack. Despite each scoring six goals in the Premier League this year, Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes have recently underperformed.
Rasmus Hojlund, on the other hand, seems to have settled in and found his footing since joining. This coming game is a perfect opportunity for the Dane to show off his goal-scoring prowess against a less experienced foe.
Match details: This will be the teams’ first-ever competitive encounter.
Out of the eight FA Cup fourth round matches, Newport County has advanced from just two of them.
In 49 of their previous 51 FA Cup matches, Manchester United has advanced against teams from outside the top tier.
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News about injuries and teams
Josh Seberry, a promising center-back who shattered his fibula in October, will not play for the hosts. In spite of this, manager Coughlan is expected to start their strongest lineup of the year against their toughest opponents.
On the other hand, Tyrell Malacia, Harry Maguire, and Victor Lindelof—all of whom have missed more than five games—are long-term injured players that Erik ten Hag must deal with. Additionally, because of their involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations, Andre Onana (Cameroon) and Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco) won’t be eligible. Tom Heaton or Altay Bayindir might take his position.
Head-to-Head
The two teams will play each other in its inaugural match.
Expected lineup
Newport County’s anticipated lineup
Townsend; Morris, Charsley, Wildig; Evans, Houlden; McLoughlin, Clarke, Bennett, Delaney, Lewis
Manchester United’s expected starting lineup
Bayindir; Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford; Hojlund; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Evans, Dalot; McTominay, Mainoo
Newport County vs. Manchester United match prediction
Newport and Manchester United, who are separated by three tiers, will be facing a significant class gap in their first competitive match. Despite their recent troubles, United is predicted to outperform Newport and try to finish the game quickly because of their hectic upcoming schedule. Even though Newport has won a lot of cups recently, it would be a huge upset if United doesn’t win this match.
