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More failure at the Britannia in United’s attempts to recover lost ground over the Premier League’s top two confirms that the club’s most likely avenue for silverware this season will come through the FA Cup. The competition’s joint most successful team with 11 titles begin their campaign this year with a trip to Huish Park, Yeovil and without tasting success in over a decade.

The New Year’s Day result represented another attainable two points dropped and marked a third successive draw away from home in the Premier League as the club are visibly struggling to keep up with the rigorous demands of the English winter schedule. Ashley Young was the latest to succumb to injury, with his hamstring giving way in the game’s final stages and will see the winger turned wing-back suffer an extended spell on the sidelines following his rejuvenation.

On the plus side for the Reds, avoiding defeat saw a tenth game in succession of doing so, with Radamel Falcao not only getting on the scoresheet once again, but marked his third start in six days while doing so. Luke Shaw’s return to the starting XI will have a big impact on the side particularly in light of Young’s misfortune and with Rafael back to full fitness as well, a return to a more familiar four-man defensive unit may not be too far off.

Attention now turns to the FA Cup once more and a trip to League One’s bottom side, Yeovil as United look to record success in the competition for the first time since 2004. Van Gaal has already highlighted the competition as the club’s most likely source of success this season particularly given a nine-point gulf between United and the Premier League’s leaders. Sunday’s trip to the Huish Park won’t be his first taste of domestic cup football however, with a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of MK Dons in the Capital One Cup back in August a huge incentive for the United and van Gaal to make their mark here.

Inevitable clichéd nonsense will no doubt surround the tie given Yeovil’s huge underdog status, willed on by “The magic of the FA Cup”, with MK Dons’ Capital One Cup success only offering the hosts more belief of pulling off the upset. United’s side that day featured just two first team players in the starting XI in David de Gea and Jonny Evans, offering little in terms of insight into the season with Welbeck, and Kagawa no longer at the club, while Hernandez, Powell, Keane and James are out on loan, and Anderson is, well, Anderson.

Squad rotation here will be a welcome change for a squad stricken down over recent months through injuries and struggling to deal with the winter demands, yet vital lessons must be learnt from Capital One Cup failure. The League Cup has a reputation for blooding younger talent and showcasing to fans a glimpse of the club’s future, often resulting in a premature exit. It’s a different story altogether with the FA Cup though. Though it may not hold the same esteem in many eyes as before, the competition remains for English club’s the second biggest domestic prize on offer and with the Premier League seemingly slipping out of reach, success in the competition would be a huge importance for the club in LVG’s debut season. With this in mind it’s important that the side still maintains a large first-team presence where possible. With the likes of Rafael, Shaw, Di Maria, Januzaj and Herrera all returning to fitness, game time will be of vital importance, while Wilson – who has featured more than perhaps expected this campaign – will be a likely starter up top as both van Persie and Falcao will benefit from the rest. Rooney’s presence as captain is important in order to show the competition isn’t being taken lightly, while Michael Carrick as the chief translator of the manager’s philosophy can help steady the ship.

So what do we really know about Yeovil? The prospect of league one’s bottom side may come as something of a relief to United supporters after nine previous consecutive FA Cup draws which have seen us paired with a fellow top flight team. Less risk maybe, but that does make the idea of an upset all the more daunting.

The Glovers currently prop up the third tier of English football, enduring a fairly difficult time after relegation from the Championship last term. Gary Johnson’s men have lost three in succession since securing their dream tie following a 2-0 second-round replay with Accrington Stanley. With just 19 goals in their league campaign – the lowest in the division – United’s defence can expect a marginally easier afternoon than they have come to expect in recent weeks, though clumsy errors and concentration lapses still will need addressing.

Prediction: The MK Dons result will surely be in the back of the manager’s mind going into this fixture as he certainly won’t be underestimating his opponents this time around. In his press conference, van Gaal spoke of previous cup upsets endured during stints at both Ajax and Barcelona, realising the incentive for lower league teams to pull off a historic upset. That said, United have lost just one of their last 39 FA Cup matches against lower league opposition.

Whichever line-up van Gaal does field should be more than capable of disposing of a side floundering 65 league places worse off, however a spine of first team players mixed with those returning to fitness should be a real signal of intent. With Di Maria in line to make a return, the Argentine should – even lacking match practice – run rings around the home side and ensure smooth qualification into round four, where an inevitable Man City or Liverpool tie awaits. United 3-0.

Probable line-up(Anybody’s guess really): De Gea, Rafael, Smalling, Jones, Shaw, Carrick, Herrera, Di Maria, Januzaj, Rooney, Wilson