Confirmed: United team for Watford FA Cup tie

Here's the side that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has selected for the game at Old Trafford, which kicks off at 20:00 GMT:

United: Henderson, Williams, Tuanzebe, Bailly, Telles; McTominay (c), van de Beek; Mata, Lingard, James; Greenwood.

Substitutes: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Matic, Fred, Fernandes, Martial, Rashford, Ighalo.

Scott McTominay captains United for the first time in a much-changed line-up, as regular skipper Harry Maguire is given a rare rest on the bench.

Ole has made nine alterations to the United XI that started against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup semi-final last Wednesday evening. Only Dean Henderson in goal and McTominay in midfield remain in the team from the derby defeat.

It is only a second start of the 2020/21 season for Jesse Lingard, who hasn’t begun a United match since our 3-0 Carabao Cup win at Luton Town back in September.

Brandon Williams also returns, playing for the first time since the Champions League match in Germany against RB Leipzig at the beginning of December.

Juan Mata has also had to wait a while for a recall to the XI. He starts a match for the first time since the Premier League win against West Bromwich Albion at Old Trafford in November.

United have a strong set of substitutes to call on if needs be, with former Watford striker Odion Ighalo among them.

Meanwhile, the visitors have also made multiple changes to their side, with eight differences from their last Championship match at Swansea on 2 January. Former United goalkeeper Ben Foster is on the bench for the Hornets.

Watford: Bachmann, Navarro, Sierralta, Troost-Ekong, Masina, Sarr, Chalobah, Hughes, Zinckernagel, Joao Pedro, Gray.

Substitutes: Foster, Ngakia, Wilmot, Sema, Dalby, Barrett, Hungbo, Crichlow, Phillips.

Live updates on the game will be available on ManUtd.com and in our Official App.

SOLSKJAER'S PRE-MATCH QUOTES

Explaining why he made so many changes to his line-up, the manager told us:

“Players need a chance to get some game time, to show what they can do, and it's common sense at this period of the season. We had a midweek game this week, which not many had. We've got a midweek game next week, which no-one has, more or less, so we've had to make these changes.

“Some of these players are desperate to play, and play more to show what they can do, and they get a chance tonight.

“Watford are one of the better sides in the Championship, they were in the Premier League last season, and I'm sure they want to go up and get back in the Premier League, so we know it's a difficult team to play against. We've had two games against them here since I've come back and they were tight games but we've won two, so hopefully we can continue that.”