FA Cup semi-final preview: Can the Championship underdogs repeat the drama of the past and upset Manchester United?
Championship powerhouse Coventry City will face giants Manchester United at Wembley for a place in the FA Cup final!
Epic path to the top
Coventry went all the way to the FA Cup, knocking out Wolves and other strong opponents to reach the semi-finals. They staged a stunning comeback in the quarter-finals, drawing with Wolves in regulation time, scoring twice in extra time and then finishing the winner to send the whole team into a frenzy. The victory also gave Coventry City the first time in many years that they had reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 1986-87 and eventually won the trophy.
However, Coventry have not been in the league of late, losing three of their last four matches, putting them away from the promotion play-offs. FA Cup glory may be their only hope of saving the season, but even if they can beat Manchester United, they will likely be the likes of Manchester City or Chelsea in the final.
Manchester United's road to the FA Cup was just as thrilling. They played Liverpool for 120 minutes in the quarter-finals, with a 2-2 draw. At the crucial moment, young teenager Amad Diallo played a heroic role and scored the winning goal to send Manchester United to Wembley.
Although Ten Hag led United to the Carabao Cup, they have also suffered a four-game winless run recently. However, as fans often say, the magic of the FA Cup is that anything can happen.
Injuries test the depth of the squad
Palmer, a key player in Coventry's promotion process, will miss the game due to a yellow card accumulation, which is undoubtedly a major blow to their attacking side. However, O'Harey also has good goalscoring ability and will start in place of Palmer.
United's injury list is even more of a headache, with Anthony Martial, Luke Shaw and Raphael Varane all set to miss the game. Ten Hag had to use youngster Cambuvara to partner Harry Maguire in a centre-back pairing. McTomina and Anthony are also injured and their availability is doubtful.
We expect Manchester United 3-1 Coventry
Although United's porous defence will give Coventry some chances, Coventry's current sluggish form and lack of Palmer's constraints put them at a disadvantage. While it wasn't impossible to score a face-saving goal, in the end United would have the last laugh with a stronger overall quality to qualify for the FA Cup final for the second year in a row.