Pereira Stakes FA Cup Claim

Andreas Pereira hopes his two-goal show in Manchester United Under-21s' 3-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Monday will boost his claims for a start in the FA Cup tie with Sheffield United on Saturday.

The talented 20-year-old scored with a left-wing corner before wrapping up three points when dribbling past Spurs keeper Tom Glover to net a cheeky late third for Warren Joyce's men.

"I think I need some match rhythm so it's good to play with the Under-21s," Pereira told MUTV. "It's a good level so it's useful to play here tonight and hopefully I can get more minutes.

"The level of the first team is a bit higher, of course, but both are high intensity so it's good to play here. Hopefully, I can show the manager with my sharpness and the goals that I can maybe play on Saturday. 2015 was a very big year for me but I am hoping this one can be a good year as well."

Pereira was Man of the Match in the Capital One Cup win over Ipswich Town in September when he marked his full debut with a free-kick goal. He also started against Middlesbrough in the next round and came close to breaking the deadlock before scoring during the penalty shoot-out.

Unfortunately, his was the only successful spot-kick as Middlesbrough went through 3-1 to deny him further opportunities in the competition. Nonetheless, he has been a substitute in every fixture since, coming off the bench against Watford, Bournemouth and Stoke City.