FA Cup fifth-round draw: Wayne Rooney could face former side Man Utd

• Posted on January 28, 2020January 28, 2020
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Wayne Rooney could face his former side Manchester United in the fifth round of the FA Cup if Derby can get past Northampton in their fourth-round replay.

Holders Manchester City will travel to Sheffield Wednesday.

Chelsea will host Shrewsbury or Liverpool, while Arsenal travel to League One Portsmouth after the Gunners beat Bournemouth in Monday’s game.

All eight ties will be played across three midweek nights from 3-5 March.

Rooney, who is United and England’s all-time record goalscorer, joined Championship club Derby County as a player-coach in January from MLS side DC United.

Now 34, he played 559 times for United, scoring 253 goals.

He won five Premier League titles and each of the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup once after joining from Everton for £27m in 2004.

Since leaving Old Trafford he has faced his former employers twice, losing both games during the 2017-18 season, while in a second spell at Everton.

Elsewhere in the draw, League One Oxford United face a trip to Championship leaders West Brom if they can follow up their shock draw at Newcastle United with victory in the replay, while Reading or Cardiff will host Sheffield United.

Leicester will host Coventry or Birmingham in an all-Midlands affair and Southampton or Tottenham will play Norwich.

Why are fifth-round ties being played in midweek?

In a change to the usual format, all eight ties will be played across three midweek nights from 3-5 March, with no replays.

If any of the ties are level after 90 minutes there will be 30 minutes of extra time and, if necessary, penalties to determine a winner on the night.

It is the second season running that fifth-round replays have been removed from the competition in an attempt to alleviate fixture congestion.

In addition, the Premier League is having a mid-season break in February, with each team getting a weekend off.

Four Premier League matches will take place on the opening weekend of the inaugural winter break, with six more the following weekend.

All 10 matches have different kick-off times, meaning none of the games will be played at the same time.

The schedule was agreed in June 2018 between the Football Association, the Premier League and EFL.

FA Cup fifth-round draw

Sheffield Wednesday v Manchester City

Reading or Cardiff City v Sheffield United

Chelsea v Shrewsbury Town or Liverpool

West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United or Oxford United

Leicester City v Coventry City or Birmingham City

Northampton Town or Derby County v Manchester United

Southampton or Tottenham Hotspur v Norwich City

Portsmouth v Arsenal

-BBC