In the second of two heavyweight FA Cup clashes set to take place this weekend, Lampard and Solskjær square off for their fourth managerial bout of the season.
The Norwegian won each of the first three meetings winning home and away in the league with a Carabao Cup tie sandwiched in between. Consequently, he will feel highly confident going into Sunday’s showdown and rightly so. Both managers come into the game on the back of crucial victories in their pursuit of Champions League qualification.
Chelsea and Manchester United will be meeting in the FA Cup for the fourth season in a row. United came out on top in last season’s fifth-round meeting but not before the Blues had beaten them in the 2017/18 final and the 2016/17 quarter-final.
On the injury front, the availability of Luke Shaw and Brandon Williams is still uncertain after the duo sat out the trip to Selhurst Park due to injuries sustained against Southampton.
Frank Lampard will also be without academy graduate; Fikayo Tomori, and midfield-enforcer; Ngolo Kante.
Since the arrival of Bruno Fernandes, the Red Devils are unbeaten in all competitions. The Portuguese maestro will most likely have a part to play if his side is to progress.
Chelsea restarted their season with three victories in a row but have since slowed down. Despite victories against Watford and Crystal Palace, defeats at Sheffield and West Ham had put dents in their top-four hopes. However, the Blues edged out Norwich to put themselves back on track.
Nonetheless, the game is set to an enthralling affair as two of the FA Cup’s most successful sides battle it out for a spot in this year’s final.
Will Manchester United overcome Chelsea for the fourth time this season or will the Blues exorcise the ghosts of previous meetings and keep their remaining realistic hope of silverware alive?
Manchester United team prediction(4-2-3-1): De Gea; Shaw, Maguire, Lindelof, Wan-Bissaka; Matic, Pogba; Rashford, Fernandes, Greenwood; Martial
Chelsea team prediction(4-3-3): Kepa; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Zouma, Alonso; Kovacic, Mount, Barkley; Pulisic, Giroud, Willian
