What a GOAL: Manchester United making us proud as Marcus Rashford scored a powerful header in 10 seconds - Man Utd 1:0 Coventry, WATCH LIVE MATCH here👇

What a GOAL: Manchester United making us proud as Marcus Rashford scored a powerful header in 10 seconds – Man Utd 1:0 Coventry, WATCH LIVE MATCH here👇

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Coventry vs Manchester United live score and goal updates as Casemiro to start at centre-back in FA Cup semi-final

Man United play Coventry City in the semi-finals of the FA Cup on Sunday and we’ll bring you live updates from the game.

BySamuel LuckhurstChief Manchester United writerTyrone MarshallSenior Football WriterGeorge SmithSteven Railston

UPDATED15:06, 21 APR 2024

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It’s the FA Cup semi-final today. (Image: 2023 Getty Images)

Manchester United can progress to the final of the FA Cup with a win against Coventry City today.

United take on the Championship side at Wembley and must deliver an improved performance on their showing against Bournemouth last weekend. Although the points were shared against the Cherries in a 2-2 draw, Andoni Iraola’s side took the lead twice on the south coast and created more chances to score.

United fell short in the final of the FA Cup against Manchester City last season and this season’s competition is an opportunity to right the wrongs of the defeat in the derby. Regarding the team news, Scott McTominay and Antony are set to be available again and Harry Maguire should feature, despite picking up a small injury against Bournemouth.

Follow below for live updates from Wembley.

KEY EVENTS

TEAM NEWS | UNITED STARTING XI

14:30

15:06STEVEN RAILSTON

‘Old soldiers are dying’

Erik ten Hag spoke to MUTV ahead of the game and said:

“Old soldiers are dying and young soldiers have to step in. They are brave players and we know they will give their 100 per cent best, but, first of all, I think we have enough experience as well.

“We have Casemiro and Harry Maguire leading from the centre [centre-back] and Scott McTominay and Bruno Fernandes in the midfield, so we have experience around the young players as well.”

15:01STEVEN RAILSTON

United emerge to warm up

The players emerged to warm up roughly around five minutes ago.

14:50STEVEN RAILSTON

The pick of the stats

United have won 13 of their past 15 meetings with Coventry. This will be the first game between the sides since September 2007, when the Sky Blues won 2-0 at Old Trafford in the League Cup.

United are playing in their 32nd FA Cup semi-final, two more than any other side. They could reach the final for a record 22nd time (currently tied with Arsenal on 21).

Coventry are playing in just their second FA Cup semi-final, previously beating Leeds in 1986-87 on their way to winning the trophy.

The Sky Blues have scored 19 goals in this season’s FA Cup, more than any other side. The last club from outside the top flight to score more in a campaign was Wrexham in 1977-78 (22).

Sides from outside the top-flight have lost their past six FA Cup semi-finals – most recently Sheffield United last season. The last side to reach the final was Cardiff City in 2008.

The pressure will all be on Erik ten Hag and Manchester United this weekend (Image: Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

14:35TYRONE MARSHALL

The midfield could be a problem

The problem for United might not be that Casemiro drops into defence, but that the midfield now looks particularly open. McTominay takes up some very high positions in midfield under Ten Hag and it would be no surprise if all three midfielders were caught ahead of the ball in this game. Coventry will get chances as a result.

(Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

14:32TYRONE MARSHALL

An unprecedented injury crisis

When you see the state of United’s injury record this season it’s impossible not to have some sympathy with Ten Hag. There are clear structural and tactical issues within this team, but it doesn’t help when you have to select 40 different starting XIs in 45 games, with 28 different back fours. It’s astonishing.

14:32SAMUEL LUCKHURST

No surprises with the team

No surprises with the United side. Once we got the squad yesterday, it was obvious there would be one change and who would come in.

United have confirmed Mount, Kambwala and Amrabat are all injured. So that is 60 cases of injury or illness that have caused a United player to miss a game this season.

14:31STEVEN RAILSTON

TEAM NEWS | COVENTRY STARTING XI

14:30KEY EVENT

TEAM NEWS | UNITED STARTING XI

XI | Onana, Wan-Bissaka, Casemiro, Maguire, Dalot, Mainoo, McTominay, Fernandes, Garnacho, Hojlund, Rashford.

Subs | Bayindir, Eriksen, Amad, Antony, Forson, Amass, Ogunneye, Jackson, Wheatley.

14:23STEVEN RAILSTON

Not long until team news

The official teams will be confirmed in just over five minutes or so.

14:22STEVEN RAILSTON

The arrival photos

Maguire, Ten Hag and Fernandes arriving.

14:13STEVEN RAILSTON

A blunder from Antony’s team

Antony’s team misspelt Coventry in their preview post on his Instagram Story. They’ve billed the semi-finalists as ‘Covertry’. That is an easy intro if Coventry ‘shock’ United today (it would not be a shock if United lost in a season where they have already been beaten 17 times).

14:10STEVEN RAILSTON

Jackson in the squad today

As reported by the MEN, Louis Jackson is in the United squad today.

14:06STEVEN RAILSTON

What do fans think about Ten Hag’s future?

The MEN spoke to fans on Wembley Way to gauge opinion on Ten Hag.

13:58SAMUEL LUCKHURST

United’s academy is outstanding

As dire as United’s injury situation is, the prominence of the academy has to be celebrated. It has been consistently the best thing about the club in the last ten years and there will be at least four graduates in the starting line-up today.

13:54TYRONE MARSHALL

Who plays at centre-back?

The big question for United today is who plays at centre-back. Casemiro will almost certainly be the answer but a partnership with Maguire would be bringing up the field with the fun runners in the London Marathon. McTominay has played in that role for Scotland. Louis Jackson will be on the bench. There are 29 players listed in the United squad on the back of the programme but it doesn’t include Louis Jackson or Ethan Wheatley. Stretched doesn’t really cover the state of this squad.

Casemiro of Manchester United (Image: James Baylis – AMA/Getty Images)

13:40GEORGE SMITH

Pick your starting line-up

Ahead of today’s FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, you can have your say on who should start for United via our interactive selector widget.

Pick the team

*Selector was built ahead of fresh injury news being confirmed on Saturday.

13:30TYRONE MARSHALL

Coventry fans are gathering

There are far more Coventry fans milling around outside Wembley than United at the moment. Coventry have been serial visitors here in recent years as well but for many a game of this size is uncharted territory so you can understand they want to make the most of the build-up. United fans are used to semi-finals and are still frequenting the water holes nearby. Those Coventry fans certainly belief though. It sounds unthinkable but a shock is hardly out of the equation, given the way United have been playing and their ongoing injury problems.

(Image: Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images.)

13:14GEORGE SMITH

Why Ten Hag is encouraged by United’s future

Erik ten Hag, in the build up to today’s game at Wembley, has said the level of quality within United’s academy is ‘going up’.

The Under-18s scooped the Under-18s Premier League North title earlier this week and could clinch a second piece of silverware when they face Manchester City in the Under-18s Premier League Cup at Leigh Sports Village on Tuesday night.

While there is no doubt that United, at this moment in time, need to focus on the here and now, Ten Hag is encouraged by the progress being made within the academy.

He told United’s club website:

“What’s very hopeful is that United is back to winning leagues with young teams, academy teams, but also producing players like Alejandro Garnacho, like Kobbie Mainoo. And it’s all about this, to produce players for the first-team. And there was, I think, a little gap in the last decades, but it looks like now United is back. The quality in the academy looks like it’s going up. And as a result of this, they are winning leagues and they’re going for cups. So they won also the FA (Youth) Cup in 2022 and producing players. And at the end of the day, that is why we have the academy.”

Click here to read the full story.

(Image: David Horton – CameraSport via Getty Images.)

13:00SAMUEL LUCKHURST

United fans making their presence felt early

There were a lot of Arsenal fans milling around St Pancras on their way to the women’s game today. The closer one got to the Met Line, the more red, white and black bar scarves there were. ‘Oh Manchester is wonderful’ is the first chant to be heard at Baker Street.

You can tell groups of United fans a mile off by the black dress code and Adidas Originals that many swear by. It is still a while to go until kick-off but Wembley is pretty remote and the majority of United supporters at the game today have frequented the nearby watering holes before.

There is a more visible police presence than usual on a trip to London, given the Marathon is already underway.

(Image: Ed Sykes/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images.)

12:45GEORGE SMITH

Wembley is in sight

Our United writer Steven Railston is walking along Wembley Way ahead of this afternoon’s FA Cup semi-final.

12:30SAMUEL LUCKHURST

Ten Hag needs correcting

Erik ten Hag said again on Friday the only time he has been able to play his best XI was against City at home last season. Someone needs to correct him as Diogo Dalot was injured for that win, Tyrell Malacia started and Lisandro Martinez was on the bench. He is correct in saying there has only been one game where he has played his strongest side. That was away to Wolves in February.

(Image: Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images.)

12:15SAMUEL LUCKHURST

Don’t bank on United making it easy for themselves

United’s league season was a write-off two weeks ago, so circling the date May 25 on the calendar would provide the run-in with a sense of occasion and purpose. Coventry have won two and lost three since their quarter-final comeback at Wolves. They will back themselves to unsettle United (and so would most United observers). Of United’s 21 wins this season, only a handful have been straightforward and there have been a meagre six wins by a margin of two goals or more. Two were against Everton, two against Football League teams, one in the League Cup and the other against West Ham.

United were battered in the first half at Goodison Park, were gifted two penalties in the return fixture, League Two Newport drew level and Crystal Palace lulled United into a false sense of security, winning on their return to Old Trafford in the league three days later. David Moyes correctly said West Ham performed better in their 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford than their 2-0 win over United.

A commanding win would be welcomed by those of us in the press box down from Manchester. There have been 29 goals in the 80th minute and beyond in United’s 90-minute matches this season. That such a win against Championship opposition would be seen as some sort of feat by United tells its own story.

(Image: Athena Pictures/Getty Images.)

12:00GEORGE SMITH

United’s road to Wembley

United’s journey to this afternoon’s FA Cup semi-final at Wembley has featured a varied crop of challenges, ranging from a trip to Newport County to a historic 4-3 win over Liverpool.

With that in mind, here is a quick reminder of their 2023/24 FA Cup adventure thus far:

Round 3: Wigan Athletic 0-2 United

Round 4: Newport County 2-4 United

Round 5: Nottingham Forest 0-1 United

Quarter-final: United 4-3 Liverpool

(Image: 2024 Manchester United FC)

11:45SAMUEL LUCKHURST

Injuries keep on mounting

The absences of Willy Kambwala, Sofyan Amrabat and Mason Mount at Stockport Station yesterday could take United’s injury and illness toll up to 60 today. More pressing is United’s central defence. Harry Maguire may be the only centre half with first team experience available today.

Louis Jackson, a starter in the FA Youth Cup final win two years ago, has travelled but the likelihood is Casemiro will drop back next to Maguire and Scott McTominay will come in alongside Kobbie Mainoo.

STEVEN RAILSTON

Welcome

Hello and welcome to today’s Manchester United live match blog. Erik ten Hag’s side will take on Coventry in the semi-finals of the FA Cup and we’ll bring you updates from the clash.

United are 10 points adrift of the Champions League places in the league and potentially winning the FA Cup is the only glimmer of light remaining this season.

Coventry, who are managed by former United player Mark Robins, lost 3-0 against Championship strugglers Birmingham City last weekend.

Stick with us for build-up to the match and updates throughout.

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What a GOAL: Manchester United making us proud as Marcus Rashford scored a powerful header in 10 seconds – Man Utd 1:0 Coventry, WATCH LIVE MATCH here👇

What a GOAL: Manchester United making us proud as Marcus Rashford scored a powerful header in 10 seconds – Man Utd 1:0 Coventry, WATCH LIVE MATCH here👇

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