Yeovil Town v Manchester United: Mourinho's men can cast off Glovers in the FA Cup

Yeovil Town v Manchester United
FA Cup Fourth Round
BBC1, Kick-off 19:55 GMT

There's nothing worse than being injured for your side's big match. Actually, Yeovil midfielder Otis Khan has proved there is - being suspended. It's avoidable, whereas injury is less so.

"Heartbroken", the player's own description, doesn't quite cover it. In Khan's case, his red card for pushing a referee (despite his protestations of it being accidental) prevents him facing his boyhood team.

Khan, one of Darren Way's key players, said in the autumn he wanted to see what could happen in the transfer window regarding climbing the football ladder. It sounded like he was in a hurry to move. A five-game ban shuts that door.

Yeovil hosted the Red Devils in 2015 in the FA Cup Third Round, with only keeper Artur Krysiak, who was on the bench that day, and defender Nathan Smith still at the Somerset club.

The Glovers were famous as giant killers in their non-league days, last beating a top flight side, Sunderland, in 1949 point out Opta. That was the only year they reached the fifth round, which is surprising as they haven't had to play qualifying rounds in many years. Nowadays, they just appreciate the type of windfall that a United visit and television coverage brings: Way is on record as saying the playing budget justifies nothing but mere survival in League Two.

What do the fans think of that? Their reaction can be summed up in strong hints of an organised protest on Friday against the ownership of Norman Hayward and John Fry, the club having slipped from the Championship to bottom tier strugglers in four years.

Manchester United have won their last 16 FA Cup ties as a top flight side against fourth tier clubs, Opta remind us, and with Jose Mourinho being in the same boat as Louis van Gaal in 2015 that the cup provides the best chance of silverware this season, there is every reason for him to put out a strong team.

Match odds

A "strong" team notwithstanding, Mourinho might be tempted to spare his January transfer window star prize Alexis Sanchez from the potentially ruinous fourth tier pitch on his debut.

And if we consider that United can keep the likes of Marcus Rashford on the bench in many matches, we're really redefining the concept of "weakened team" when their opponents are three tiers below.

Keeper Sergio Romero might well start in a team similar to the one that lost in the League Cup at Bristol City, featuring Luke Shaw, Daley Blind and indeed Rashford.

Might Ryan Dickson get his wish to obtain Juan Mata's shirt afterwards? Maybe.

Yeovil, minus Khan, will no doubt line up with the side that defeated Bradford City in the third round, also at Huish Park. Sam Surridge might well start this time though.

One would think Manchester United would repeat their victory at Huish Park of 2015, but odds of 1.18 make little appeal. Surridge and others have become obsessed, says the striker, at "getting a result" and a draw to gain a match at Old Trafford is tempting at 9.00. Yeovil's price is 25.00.

Correct Score

To gain that dream result of a draw, I think it would have to be goalless. Manchester United have been too wiley to give away goals on their last two visits to League Two sides this far south, winning 2-0 both at Yeovil in 2015 and at Exeter in a third round replay in 2005.

The layers seem to have done that research, making 2-0 to the visitors the shortest price at 5.60. A goalless draw is 20.00. Under 2.5 goals is 3.00, which covers 1-0 to United and the 1-1 draw. For both, you should seek double figure odds for the individual score.

First Goalscorer and To Score

Should Yeovil manage to score, who would get it? Sam Surridge (5 goals who is priced 13.00) and Francis Zoko (9 goals - 11.50) seem the most obvious candidates, although Omar Sowunmi has his only two of the season since Christmas and is 24.00.

Lewis Wing, a midfielder on loan from Middlesbrough, netted against Chesterfield at the weekend and can be backed at 21.00 but there's an FA Cup goals star in Jordan Green, a midfielder who has pushed his way into the team, including scoring in the last round. He scored in the second round in early December, too, that time as substitute. His price is 14.00to score first, but he could be better value in the "to score" market, at any time at 5.40.

Naturally, the United players are a much shorter price as first goalscorer. Other than players such as Rashford - priced 3.75 - I think Jesse Lingard has a decent chance of starting also, and his price is 5.00.

Romelu Lukaku is the shortest at 3.60 but one wonders if Mourinho will risk him. There's a chance Marouane Fellaini could be given a rare start. There seems a real opportunity he could head in a cross, say from a set piece, to justify 6.60. He's scored 14 of his 36 Premier League goals with headers. Lingard and Rashford seem more likely and regular scorers, however.