United's Youth Cup defence begins away

The third round proper is the stage at which Premier League and Championship clubs enter the competition, so the trip to Palace will be our first fixture in it since winning the 2021/22 final on 11 May.

Travis Binnion's side defeated Nottingham Forest 3-1 in front of a record FA Youth Cup crowd of 67,492, thanks to an early goal by captain Rhys Bennett and a second-half double from Alejandro Garnacho.

Garnacho has since gone on to play for our first team, of course, and, earlier today, he was crowned Player of the Month for November.

Palace versus United as a Youth Cup fixture is enshrined in the club's history, given that was the final when the famous Class of '92 won the competition 30 years ago.

A side managed by Eric Harrison and including future first-team stars such as Gary Neville, David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs and Ben Thornley beat the Eagles 3-1 at Selhurst Park and then 3-2 at Old Trafford.

In the following season, 1992/93, the Reds reached the final again - this time with Phil Neville and Paul Scholes added to the line-up - but lost to Leeds United on aggregate.

United have won the FA Youth Cup a record 11 times, including the first five years from its inception in 1953.

FA YOUTH CUP THIRD-ROUND DRAW

Grimsby Town or Crewe Alexandra v Cardiff City
AFC Wimbledon v Leyton Orient
Colchester United v Portsmouth or Cambridge United
Sheffield Wednesday v Barnsley or Derby County
Nottingham Forest v West Bromwich Albion
Exeter City v Oxford United or Horndean
Tottenham Hotspur v Queens Park Rangers
Arsenal v Millwall
Southend United v Middlesbrough or Milton Keynes Dons
Leeds United v Bolton Wanderers or Accrington Stanley
Everton v Reading
Preston North End v Rotherham United
Birmingham City v Luton Town
Rochdale v Fulham
Swansea City v Sunderland
Chelsea v Chester or Bradford City

Gillingham or Plymouth Argyle v Wigan Athletic
Lincoln City or Tranmere Rovers v Watford
Crystal Palace v UNITED
Brighton & Hove Albion v Lowestoft Town or Dover Athletic
Aston Villa v Brentford
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Leicester City
Port Vale v Hull City
Sheffield United v West Ham United
Coventry City v Southampton
Bristol City v Stockport County or Fleetwood Town
Burnley v Norwich City
Manchester City v Blackburn Rovers
Charlton Athletic v Newcastle United
Stoke City v Blackpool
Huddersfield Town v Bromley or Ipswich Town
Bournemouth v Liverpool

All ties must be played by Saturday 17 December and will be decided by extra-time, and penalties if necessary, if the scores are level after 90 minutes.