FA Cup fifth round: when the draw takes place and who Manchester United could face

The draw for the fifth found of the FA Cup is set to take place on Monday night.
The oldest national cup competition in football is up for grabs once again. Picture: Emirates FA CupThe oldest national cup competition in football is up for grabs once again. Picture: Emirates FA Cup
The oldest national cup competition in football is up for grabs once again. Picture: Emirates FA Cup

Although the competition's reputation may not be what it once was, silverware is silverware and anyone who has gotten this far must feel like they are in with a chance of lifting the trophy at the end.

Manchester United can count themselves among that number, and might fancy another FA Cup triumph as just the confidence boost they need.

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Here's everything you need to know about the draw and the upcoming round.

Ole's quest to get Man Utd back to winning ways continues with the FA Cup's fifth round.  Picture: Shaun Botterill/Getty ImagesOle's quest to get Man Utd back to winning ways continues with the FA Cup's fifth round.  Picture: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
Ole's quest to get Man Utd back to winning ways continues with the FA Cup's fifth round. Picture: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
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When is the draw?

The draw will take place at 7.19pm on Monday 27 January.

The draw itself will be broadcast live on both BBC One and on the BBC Sports website.

The conditions weren't ideal but Man Utd still soared past Tranmere in the fourth round. Picture: Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesThe conditions weren't ideal but Man Utd still soared past Tranmere in the fourth round. Picture: Gareth Copley/Getty Images
The conditions weren't ideal but Man Utd still soared past Tranmere in the fourth round. Picture: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

It will be made by two past FA Cup winners –Portsmouth, Chelsea and Liverpool full-back Glen Johnson, and legendary goalscorer Teddy Sheringham.

Johnson won it in 2008 with unlikely champions Portsmouth, while Sheringham scored in the 1999 final to help Manchester United to victory.

How does the fifth round work?

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The next round of games will be played as mid-week ties, taking place between Tuesday 3 March and Thursday 5 March. All 10 matches have different kick-off times.

While these games have been played over the weekend in the past, the change has been made to accommodate the Premier League's new winter break – allowing teams a brief respite amidst an increasingly hectic season.

Unlike in the rounds so far, there will be not be a replay for any game that ends in a draw – good news for the teams whose schedules are already at breaking point.

Instead, their will be 30 minutes of extra time for a winner to be decided, followed by a penalty shoot-out if things are still all square.

Who could Manchester United face in the next round?

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Having secured their own place in round 5 with their comprehensive defeat of Tranmere, Man Utd could now face any of the remaining teams, including each other.

The other teams that have already guaranteed themselves a spot in the fifth round are:

- Leicester City

- Sheffield United

- Sheffield Wednesday

- Chelsea

- West Bromwich Albion

- Norwich City

- Manchester City

- Portsmouth

However, there are also still several slots still to be filled.

Arsenal and Bournemouth have still to play their fourth round game, which will take place at 8pm, shortly after the draw itself.

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On top of that, there are several games which ended in a draw and need to be replayed – Tottenham vs Southampton, Northampton Town vs Derby County, Reading vs Cardiff City, Coventry City vs Birmingham City, Newcastle United vs Oxford United and Shrewsbury vs Liverpool.

These pairs will be entered into the draw as one, with the victor going on to play whoever they are drawn against in the fifth round.

As such, it is highly possible that Man Utd won't know exactly who they will be facing in round 5 even after the draw has been made.

Which numbers should fans be looking out for?

If you’re planning on taking in the draw in real time, Manchester United fans will be hoping not to see numbers 2 (Chelsea), 7(Leicester City) and 13 (Manchester City).

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Numbers 3 and 16 also have the potential to land them a match with Tottenham or Liverpool, so they’d probably be best avoided as well.

On paper anyway, the easiest draw would be League One’s Portsmouth, who are number 15.

Drawing number 6 could even lead to a match with League Two’s Northampton Town, but only if they overcome Derby County in the fourth round replay.