The Football Association has confirmed that replays for both the third and fourth rounds of this season's Emirates FA Cup have been scrapped to avoid fixture congestion.
The decision was approved by the FA board and it has since been confirmed that replays will not take place in the next two rounds of the competition, as per tradition.
The move has been taken in the wider interest of English football to ease the pressure on clubs and avoid the possibility of fixture congestion being encountered following a number of postponements across the football pyramid over the weekend, all the way through from the Premier League and into non-league.
Covid-19 is currently heavily impacting English football, although it was confirmed on Monday afternoon that both Premier League and EFL clubs will continue and not pause their respective seasons.
Therefore, ties in the third and fourth rounds of the FA Cup will be decided on the day, with extra-time and penalty shoot-outs settling each tie should they be required.
Replays will return to the competition up to and including the fourth round from next season. Games from the fifth round onwards will continue to be settled via extra-time and penalties if required.
Both Manchester City and Manchester United enter the competition at the third round stage in just over a fortnight's time.
City travel to League Two side Swindon Town, looking to avoid a major upset, whilst United, who last won the FA Cup in 2016, will welcome Aston Villa to Old Trafford.
City's trip to the County Ground is pencilled in to be staged on Friday, January 7, whilst United will go head-to-head with Villa on Monday, January 10.
Should they both progress to the fourth round, ties are scheduled to be played over the weekend of Saturday, February 5 and Sunday, February 6.
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