United Will Not Underestimate Preston

Chris Smalling and Luke Shaw are adamant Manchester United won't underestimate Preston North End in tonight’s FA Cup fifth-round tie at Deepdale, having already been pushed by two impressive Football League opponents in this season’s unpredictable competition.

Louis van Gaal’s men recorded a hard-fought 2-0 win over Yeovil Town in the third round, before drawing 0-0 against Cambridge United at the Abbey Stadium. Although the Reds eventually secured a comfortable 3-0 victory in the Old Trafford replay, Smalling expects another difficult game tonight.

"It’s the story of the underdog," Chris told MUTV. "I’ve played as an underdog before and you play without fear and with nothing to lose. All you can do is go out and do you best. We as United players have to make sure we do our jobs and give 100 per cent as Preston will be 100 per cent committed. We need to match that and hopefully let our quality shine through.

"I think the fact that we’ve already played against lower-league opposition will stand us in good stead for when we go to Deepdale. At the end of the day it’s a cup game where the winner gets to go into the next round and takes a step closer to the final.

"There definitely is a desire to win the FA Cup this season, especially given the time it’s been since we won it. Given the draws we’ve had, we’re expected to go through and we’re vying that we’ll be in the draw. It’s another step towards the final; there are only a couple of rounds after this."

Shaw is expected to reclaim his starting place after serving a one-match suspension and is also keen to draw on experience at Deepdale.

"When we look back at Cambridge and Yeovil, we were expected to win those games but they’re never easy – especially away from home," he said. "Preston will be up for it with the crowd behind them and I think they’ll start on the front foot. The game is never easy but we’re all looking forward to it.

"We know fans and people outside of it think it’s going to be an easy game but we know that’s not the case. We’ll take it professionally and go into the game knowing it’s never going to be easy. It’s something we’ve learned from the last few games we’ve played and something we’ll take rightly."

United are the highest-ranked team left in the FA Cup and victory tonight would book a place in the quarter-finals, leaving the Reds just two games away from a final at Wembley. That is a tantalising prospect for Shaw, who has long dreamt of winning English football’s most historic trophy.

"I have a lot of memories of the FA Cup as a kid," Luke explained. "I’ve always gone to watch finals and have been to Wembley to see a few of them. It’s something I’m a big fan of and to have a very good chance of getting to a final is something I’m excited about. Hopefully, I can help the team succeed.

"It’s a very big competition here in England and something I think everyone wants to win. If you look at our team, a lot of the players haven’t won it – I think the captain Wayne Rooney will want to win it especially, but young players like me and Adnan [Januzaj] and the others really want to win the competition too. We’re really looking forward to it."