• FA Cup

Chelsea & United wait on FA for replay date

ESPN staff
March 11, 2013
Manchester United must travel to Chelsea © PA Photos
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A date for the FA Cup quarter-final replay between Manchester United and Chelsea is not expected to be announced by the Football Association until later this week.

United let slip a two-goal lead at Old Trafford in their FA Cup sixth round tie with Chelsea on Sunday, as the match ended in a 2-2 stalemate.

The draw means a replay at Stamford Bridge must be worked into an already-congested fixture list, which is seemingly dependent on Chelsea's progress in the Europa League - with the club to face Steaua Bucharest on Thursday.

If Rafael Benitez's side lose, the replay is set to be played during the first week of April, even though UEFA prefers major countries not to arrange domestic fixtures at the same time as their competitions.

If Chelsea are able to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit, then a fixture pile-up would cause a real headache, in particular with the forthcoming international break.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson said after Sunday's 2-2 draw at Old Trafford: "I don't know when the replay will be played, probably May!"

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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