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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Samuel Luckhurst

Manchester United squad vs Liverpool FC revealed

Victor Lindelof is back in the Manchester United squad for the FA Cup fourth round tie with Liverpool.

Lindelof, 26, has missed five of the last seven games as United continue to manage the back injury he sustained playing on the plastic pitch of Den Haag's stadium in a goalless Europa League draw with AZ Alkmaar 15 months ago. Eric Bailly partnered Harry Maguire again in United's 2-1 win at Fulham on Wednesday night.

Dean Henderson is expected to start at Old Trafford in what would be his sixth successive domestic cup tie appearance and United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed he would rotate against Liverpool.

"We'll rotate, that's for sure," Solskjaer said. "We'll put a decent team together of course, a team I feel can win the game. Of course, the focus is now on the FA Cup. We know it's a difficult tie. I'm not the best on draws so I think they should try to get someone else in if they want an easy draw.

"Victor will be fine for the weekend, it was just too quick a turnaround we felt with the travel and with his back. I wanted to play Eric today (against Fulham) when Victor's not ready anyway.

Cavani scored against Fulham (Eamonn and James Clarke)

"Now we've got four days extra. Victor got his treatment this morning and a little bit of light training so he should be ready for the weekend."

The draw with Liverpool immediately evoked memories of Solskjaer's unforgettable added-time winner at the same stage of the FA Cup at Old Trafford in 1999. Coincidentally, Sunday's match falls on the 22nd anniversary of United's 2-1 comeback that fuelled belief that the Treble was possible.

Even though an unlikely repeat this season was scuppered by last month's Champions League elimination, Solskjaer is still drawing inspiration from United's greatest campaign.

Shaw has been superb for United for most of this season (Eamonn and James Clarke)

"Of course, we can transform a few things from that season," he added. "We know that there's tight moments, very fine margins. We know in that season we were close to going out against Liverpool. Peter Schmeichel saved a penalty from Dennis Bergkamp in the semi-final in injury time. Those moments, I think they gave us the mental advantage, especially in the semi-final.

"But against Liverpool as well in that fourth round, when you get that boost of turning 1-0 down to a 2-1 win against a big team, it's massive. The FA Cup is a run we've got to enjoy as long as it lasts.

"We got to the semis last year and, as I said, we're going to make a few changes but we'll put a team out there that I hope can go through.

Fred arrives at The Lowry (Eamonn and James Clarke)

"You want to get your hands on that first trophy, but it's always the league position that's the measure of how far you have come. Anyone can have an easy cup run, I'm not one of those. I never get an easy cup run! I'm never going to watch a draw ever again because we always seem to pick out the difficult opponents.

"In a cup run, sometimes you can get to a final without really playing any of the top ones. This time around, we've picked one of the favourites and we know this is a big one if you want to go all the way."

Amad Diallo, Brandon Williams, Jesse Lingard and Odion Ighalo did not arrive at The Lowry Hotel with the United squad this evening.

Confirmed United squad members

David de Gea, Dean Henderson, Lee Grant, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Harry Maguire, Axel Tuanzebe, Eric Bailly, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, Alex Telles, Fred, Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay, Juan Mata, Donny van de Beek, Daniel James, Bruno Fernandes, Anthony Martial, Mason Greenwood, Edinson Cavani, Marcus Rashford

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