There's only a matter of hours to go before the January transfer window shuts for good, with multiple moves already in the can and plenty potentially still to come.

Chelsea's pursuit of Argentina's World Cup-winning midfielder Enzo Fernandez for a Premier League record fee from Benfica remains up in the air. 

The Blues look set to confirm the exit of Italy's Euro 2020 victor Jorginho to rivals Arsenal though before time runs out at the end of play on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, Manchester City have confirmed the loan exit of Joao Cancelo to Bayern Munich, while Inter's raid for Manchester United's Harry Maguire looks a no-go.

But the Red Devils are hopeful of sealing a deal for Bayern's Marcel Sabitzer, following a potential season-ending injury for Christian Eriksen.

Stats Perform runs the rule over what has happened and what could still be before the deadline.

BLUES REMAIN IN RECORD PURSUIT FOR WORLD CUP WINNER FERNANDEZ

Graham Potter's side have already been handed an eye-watering war chest by Todd Boehly since his takeover, and they show no signs of slowing down their spending.

A move for Enzo Fernandez, whose stock rose after his performances alongside Lionel Messi as he led Argentina to World Cup glory, has been on the cards all month.

But the hefty release clause set by Benfica has forced Chelsea to table what would be a Premier League record bid of £105.6million (€120m) if successful. 

That would overtake the fee Manchester City paid out for Jack Grealish from Aston Villa, though issues remain over how the payment would be delivered to the Portuguese club.

JORGINHO READY TO LEAP ACROSS LONDON

With one player potentially set to arrive, another is almost certain to have their departure confirmed in the coming hours at Stamford Bridge.

That is Italy international Jorginho, who is set to trade the Blues for Premier League leaders Arsenal on an 18-month deal.

The move to bring in the veteran playmaker with a proven track record for silverware echoes the swoop the Gunners made for Gabriel Jesus from Man City last year.

It would be Arsenal's third permanent capture of the window, following the signings of Leandro Trossard and Jakub Kiwior, and likely signals the end of their pursuit of Brighton and Hove Albion's Moses Caicedo for now.

CITY CONFIRM CANCELO EXIT TO BAYERN

The writing may have been on the wall for longer than many realised when it came to Joao Cancelo's future at the Etihad Stadium.

The player has denied a reported bust-up with Pep Guardiola following his return from the World Cup, though Cancelo had slipped down the pecking order with the Premier League champions in recent games.

The Portugal international will hope for a fresh start with Bayern, where he has joined on a loan through the end of the season with a reported buy option at €70m (£61.5m).

UNITED HOLD ONTO MAGUIRE AMID SABITZER PURSUIT

The future of Man Utd club captain Harry Maguire has long been a point of consternation for supporters, though his recent cup performances suggest he still has a role to play.

Despite slipping to fifth in the centre-back pecking order, the England defender appears to be an option head coach Erik ten Hag wishes to retain, dashing the interest of Serie A heavyweights Inter.

But with the news Christian Eriksen will miss most of the rest of the season through injury, United are exploring a move for Austria international Marcel Sabitzer to help plug the gap.

Jadon Sancho and Anthony Martial will return for Manchester United's EFL Cup semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest, Erik ten Hag confirmed.

Sancho has not featured for United since October's 1-1 draw against Chelsea due to "circumstances with fitness and mood".

Meanwhile, Martial's last appearance came in the victory over Manchester City at Old Trafford earlier this month when he was withdrawn at half-time.

The pair are back available for United ahead of Wednesday's clash at Old Trafford, where the hosts lead 3-0 from last week's first leg.

"We have some issues," Ten Hag told club media on Tuesday.

"I think tomorrow that Anthony Martial and Jadon Sancho will return in the game squad, but Scott McTominay will still be absent.

"I think also the next game [against Crystal Palace] he will be absent. We have to see how that process will go. And for the rest, I think everyone is fit."

Already having one foot in the EFL Cup final at Wembley, United will pay close attention to Tuesday's contest between Newcastle United and Southampton to discover their potential opponents.

United last won the EFL Cup in 2016-17 under Jose Mourinho, a season where the Europa League was also won and a campaign that represents the last time the club won a trophy.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is not expecting to delve into the transfer market on deadline day despite losing Christian Eriksen to injury for three months.

United confirmed on Tuesday that Eriksen is likely to be out at least until late April after sustaining an ankle injury in the FA Cup win over Reading on Saturday.

He was on the receiving end of a heavy tackle from Andy Carroll, who went unpunished before eventually getting sent off for another two forceful challenges.

Losing Eriksen is a major blow for United given his prominence in his first campaign at Old Trafford, with Bruno Fernandes (2,603) the only outfield player to record more minutes on the pitch than the Dane (2,274) for Ten Hag's men this term.

United will suddenly be without one of their chief creators, as Eriksen's 53 key passes is second only to Fernandes (81), and he leads the way for assists with nine.

But Ten Hag is confident he has the options to cope.

"Of course, [Eriksen] is disappointed about [the injury], we are disappointed about it," the manager told reporters ahead of Wednesday's EFL Cup semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest.

"It happens in top football, you have to deal with it."

He added: "As you said, something coming out on deadline day is difficult and you can't make policy on such bad injuries, but we have players in the midfield department, good players, we also have players who can fill the gap."

With Donny van de Beek out for the season, Eriksen's injury leaves Ten Hag with senior midfield options of Fred, Casemiro, Fernandes and Scott McTominay, while 17-year-old Kobbie Mainoo has made two appearances in cup competitions and been among the substitutes on a handful of occasions in the Premier League.

Zidane Iqbal, a 19-year-old Iraq international, has also been on the bench often this season, though he is yet to make his debut and had reportedly been lined up for a loan move.

Either way, Ten Hag accepts there will have to be a degree of adaptation regardless of who steps up because they will not have the same attributes as the Denmark star.

"I think you can never fill that because every player has their own characteristics and identity, so another player will always fill it in in a different way," he said.

"So, it doesn't mean that you have to be less successful, but it's quite clear that Christian Eriksen, for our squad, brings top quality and he has some specifics that are hard to replace. For instance, his impact in the final third, [with his] final ball."

Brazil midfielder Fred would appear to be the most likely to benefit from Eriksen's absence.

Although the 29-year-old has made only five Premier League starts this term, in total he has played in 17 top-flight games, with Ten Hag seeming to value his energy and tenacity in the second half when others might be tiring.

There is also the added convenience of him regularly playing alongside Casemiro with the Selecao.

"You mentioned already in your first sentence, he's playing together with Casemiro in the Brazilian squad, I would say that's not the worst squad in the world," Ten Hag said with a grin.

"They have so many choices what they can make but they often prefer to play them together. So, that tells something about the quality Fred has and what he can contribute to the team.

"He has done it several times with his performance for instance against Tottenham, for instance against Manchester City.

"When he's coming on [in the] last game [against Reading], he's scoring a goal straight away. He has a lot of qualities. I think they are a really good combination, Casemiro and Fred."

Christian Eriksen will be out of action for up to three months due to the ankle injury he suffered in Saturday's FA Cup win over Reading, Manchester United have confirmed.

Eriksen was on the receiving end of a heavy tackle from Andy Carroll in the second half, with the Reading forward surprisingly avoiding a yellow card.

Carroll was later sent off for another two forceful challenges.

Eriksen walked away from the incident to play on briefly, but he was soon replaced and later spotted leaving Old Trafford on crutches, with a protective boot supporting his left ankle.

United boss Erik ten Hag offered little insight after the match, but following examinations the club believe it is serious enough to potentially rule him out until May.

A statement read: "Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen is expected to be out of action for an extended period because of an ankle injury sustained in our Emirates FA Cup victory over Reading on Saturday.

"While investigations are continuing, initial assessments indicate that Eriksen is likely to be out until late April or early May."

The absence of Eriksen will be a major blow to United and Ten Hag, as the Danish midfielder has been a key component of the side since his arrival on a free transfer in pre-season.

Bruno Fernandes (2,603) is the only outfield player to spend more minutes on the pitch than Eriksen (2,274) across all competitions for United this season.

It is a similar story in terms of chances created, with Eriksen's 53 bettered by only Fernandes' 81, highlighting the Dane's creative importance, particularly from set-pieces.

Eriksen ranks highest in the squad for assists (nine), however, three more than Fernandes.

If the 31-year-old does not play again until the start of May, he will have missed at least 18 matches in all competitions.

That total will increase if United progress in the FA Cup, Europa League and EFL Cup – they are just 90 minutes away from the final of the latter after winning 3-0 away to Nottingham Forest in last week's semi-final first leg.

The return game at Old Trafford on Wednesday will be the first match Eriksen misses.

The absence of Eriksen further stretches United's midfield options after Donny van de Beek was ruled out for the season at the start of January.

It leaves Fernandes, Fred, Casemiro and Scott McTominay as their only recognised senior midfielders, potentially requiring 17-year-old Kobbie Mainoo – who has made two cup appearances but is yet to make his Premier League bow – to step up unless they delve into the transfer market before the window closes on Tuesday.

Arsenal are still desperate to add a new face in central midfield and will reportedly make late runs at Chelsea's Jorginho and Leicester City's Youri Tielemans before the transfer deadline.

Tielemans is one of Leicester's top talents, appearing in all 20 of their Premier League games this season while contributing three goals and an assist from his 18 starts.

Jorginho is in his fifth season at Stamford Bridge and remains an integral part of Chelsea's squad, making 15 league starts this season, including wearing the captain's armband in their two most recent fixtures.

However, both players are in the final six months of their contracts and are set to become available via free transfers at the end of the campaign, and their clubs may be willing to accept a significantly reduced figure for highly valuable assets.

TOP STORY – GUNNERS GUNNING FOR MIDFIELD ACTION AT THE DEADLINE

According to Football London, Arsenal's pursuit of 21-year-old Brighton and Hove Albion standout Moises Caicedo appears to have been unsuccessful, and they now view Jorginho as an acceptable alternative.

The report states Chelsea are willing to let the Italy international leave, indicating he will become expendable if the impending arrival of Benfica's Enzo Fernandez comes to fruition.

Football London also adds Arsenal will make another push at both Caicedo and Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi, but they are considered unlikely options.

Meanwhile, 90min claims Leicester would be more open to allowing Tielemans to leave if they were not locked in a relegation battle, but as it stands they would need a "huge" bid to prioritise a transfer fee over their Premier League survival.

ROUND-UP

– Calciomercato is reporting Leeds United will try to secure Roma's Nicolo Zaniolo after he snubbed Bournemouth, but Roma are unlikely to accept unless the full transfer fee is paid up front.

– According to L'Equipe, Paris Saint-Germain are interested in a loan move for Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech, who would prefer a loan to France instead of a fellow Premier League side.

– Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has rejected a loan approach from Inter and will instead opt to fight for his place, although he will re-evaluate his future at the end of the season, per the Daily Star.

– El Nacional is reporting Liverpool will make a run at signing Chelsea's N'Golo Kante when his contract expires after the season.

– According to Football Insider, Southampton have agreed to meet the £26.2million (€30m) release clause for 22-year-old Braga forward Vitinha.

Tottenham will face a trip to Wrexham in the fifth round of the FA Cup if the Welsh side overcome Sheffield United in a fourth-round replay next week. 

Wrexham, the National League outfit co-owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, were pegged back at the death in a pulsating 3-3 draw with Championship promotion hopefuls United on Sunday.

Hollywood star Reynolds was in attendance at the Racecourse Ground as John Egan's stoppage-time equaliser denied the hosts a famous win, teeing up next Tuesday's replay at Bramall Lane.

Should the fifth-tier outfit cause an upset against the Blades, they will host Spurs in a mouth-watering midweek tie, a fixture which would certainly be viewed as their biggest since Reynolds and McElhenney took charge in 2021.

Elsewhere, Manchester City will face Bristol City for a place in the quarter-finals after overcoming Premier League title rivals Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on Friday.

Manchester United's reward for their 3-1 victory over Reading is another home tie against the winners of Monday's meeting between Derby County and West Ham, while Brighton and Hove Albion will go to Stoke City after Kaoru Mitoma's last-gasp strike eliminated holders Liverpool.

The winners of Fulham's replay against Sunderland will host Leeds United, potentially teeing up a rematch of the 1973 final in which the second-tier Black Cats stunned then-holders Leeds with a 1-0 victory at Wembley Stadium.

The ties will be played during the week commencing February 27 and will be decided by extra time and penalties if drawn, with replays no longer taking place after the fourth round.

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored many famous goals.

Undoubtedly, though, one of his most celebrated strikes came 15 years ago, on January 30, 2008.

On a winter evening at Old Trafford, Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth rocked up in fine form on the road, having won seven of their 12 away games in the Premier League.

Yet Ronaldo, in the midst of a 31-goal season in the top tier, was the difference. 

Having put Manchester United ahead in the 10th minute, Ronaldo stepped up, just under 30 yards out from goal, three minutes later.

His free-kick, taken in what would become his trademark style, went up, over the wall and swerved remarkably into the right-hand corner. David James, the Portsmouth goalkeeper, had no chance.

That goal is often thought of as the typical Ronaldo free-kick. Power, panache and pinpoint accuracy.

But is Ronaldo actually as good as a free-kick taker as that goal might suggest? Using Opta data, Stats Perform has taken a look.

Quantity, not quality?

Since that goal against Portsmouth up until the day his second spell at United ended (November 23, 2022), Ronaldo had more shots from direct free-kicks than any other player in Europe's top five leagues.

Of the 645 shots Ronaldo had, 41 resulted in a goal. That is from 700 club games, across stints at United, Real Madrid and Juventus.

On the face of it, that goal tally does not stand out as particularly impressive, at least given the fact that Ronaldo netted 619 times in total.

Yet he is behind only Lionel Messi (who else?) when it comes to goals from direct free-kicks, with the Barcelona great scoring on 51 occasions from such situations.

That gives Messi an 8.1 per cent conversion rate from free-kicks in that timeframe, in contrast to Ronaldo's 6.3 per cent.

Naturally, given their status in the game, Ronaldo and Messi will almost always pull rank when it comes to set-pieces, especially at a free-kick in a dangerous position.

Miralem Pjanic, who ranks third for direct free-kick goals and was a club-mate of both players at Barca and Juve respectively, boasts better conversion rate than either (nine per cent).

Neymar's 13 goals from 147 attempts gives him an 8.8 per cent success rate, while James Ward-Prowse's 12 per cent (15 from 125, though this figure of course does not account for his strike against Everton earlier in January) is close to double what Ronaldo managed.

Indeed, when ranked against players from Europe's big five leagues that scored 10 or more direct free-kicks between January 31, 2008 and November 23, 2022, only Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Dani Parejo had lower conversion rates than Ronaldo.

Club by club

So, having established that Ronaldo's free-kick finishing was somewhat erratic following that stunner against Portsmouth, let's check on how he stacked up at each club.

Across his career in Europe's top five leagues, Ronaldo netted 48 free-kicks in all competitions, from 782 shots (6.1 per cent).

Thirteen of those goals came at United, with five each in his final two seasons of his first spell at the club.

Indeed, Ronaldo's peak when it came to free-kicks was definitely between the 2007-08 season and the 2013-14 campaign, when he scored 35 times from that type of dead-ball situation.

His best single season tally was six, in the 2009-10 season – his first at Madrid.

From 2014-15 onwards he did not manage more than three free-kick goals during a season, while he scored only twice from 86 such attempts while at Juve, and managed no goals from four free-kicks in his second stint at United.

One of the greats?

As well as his effort against Portsmouth, Ronaldo has many other memorable free-kicks in the bank.

His stunning, 40-yard strike against Arsenal in the 2009 Champions League semi-final; a mesmerising hit from even further out in a Madrid derby in 2012; and who can forget that spellbinding, hat-trick sealing effort that secured a last-gasp draw for Portugal against Spain in a 3-3 thriller at the 2018 World Cup.

Ronaldo might have gone off the boil from dead balls since the halcyon days either side of his move from Manchester to Madrid, yet there's no doubting that when he hits them true, there's not much any goalkeeper can do.

While he may not go down as one of the greatest free-kick takers in history statistically, he has definitely been a scorer of some great free-kicks down the years.

And who knows, maybe there'll be more to come in Saudi Arabia.

Erik ten Hag has no complaints with Manchester United's fixture schedule and insists his squad is deep enough to cope with challenging on multiple fronts in the second half of the season.

United beat Reading 3-1 at Old Trafford on Saturday to advance to the last 16 of the FA Cup, while Wednesday's 3-0 first-leg win over Nottingham Forest means they are all but assured of a place in the EFL Cup final.

The Red Devils are also still in Europa League contention, with a knockout play-off round tie against Barcelona on the horizon, and are fourth in the Premier League with 18 games to go.

Ten Hag's side potentially have nine matches to come in February, but the Dutchman considers that a positive as United bid to end a six-year wait for a trophy.

"I don't complain," he told reporters. "We know what the fixture schedule is; we have to deal with this.

"At clubs we have to set squads and squads are big enough to deal with it and I think players like to play.

"You can build and construct a good team when you play often and, in my perspective, when you play often the same you are getting the routines in."

Ten Hag surprised many by naming a strong starting line-up against Championship side Reading, with Harry Maguire coming into the side as the only change from the Forest match, which followed on from a 3-2 league loss at Arsenal.

"If you see everything in the perspective of the result, after a defeat we've bounced back," Ten Hag said. "I was happy with the performance at Arsenal, but we made mistakes.

"We have to work on those mistakes but now twice we have had good performances and two good results."

Casemiro's second-half double and a neat finish from Fred earned United victory over Reading, who had Andy Carroll sent off but pulled one back through Amadou Salif Mbengue.

United lost key midfielder Christian Eriksen to injury prior to the hour mark, but Ten Hag says it is too early to determine if the Denmark international is going to spend any time on the sidelines.

"It's always difficult to say in this moment so short after the game has finished," he said.

"But it's an ankle [problem]. We have to see what the diagnosis is, so it will be a minimum of 24 hours before we know that and then I can say more."

United are back in action on Wednesday with the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final against Forest, before returning to league action at home to Crystal Palace next weekend.

Tottenham are reportedly investigating a potential move for young Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Piero Hincapie, despite the hefty asking price for the Ecuador international.

Hincapie, 21, is in his second Bundesliga season after arriving from Argentinian side Talleres, and has forced his way into Leverkusen's starting XI, earning 13 starts among his 15 total league appearances this campaign.

He also has 24 senior international caps for Ecuador under his belt, playing every minute of his country's three group stage fixtures at the Qatar World Cup.

Hincapie's emergence has not gone unnoticed, and Leverkusen are said to be informing interested clubs that any sale of their talented youngster will come at a heavy price.

TOP STORY – SPURS KICK THE TYRES ON PRIZED LEVERKUSEN DEFENDER

According to the Sun, Spurs boss Antonio Conte is desperate to add a new central defender before the end of the month, but the club were knocked back by a massive £80million price tag.

The report indicates Hincapie would be in favour of a move to the Premier League, and to Tottenham specifically, but that it would be far more likely to occur at the end of the season.

Interestingly, the Sun believes Leverkusen would be open to accepting as little as £20m if it meant Hincapie could spend the rest of the season on loan with the German side, but with his contract tying him to Leverkusen until 2026, it is hard to believe they would budge so significantly from their lofty valuation.

It also mentions Tottenham's pursuit of Sporting right-back Pedro Porro is on the verge of falling through, but Portuguese publication Record is reporting that a verbal agreement is in place for a £42m (€48m) deal.

ROUND-UP

– GiveMeSport are reporting Chelsea will make a run at 23-year-old Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic at the end of the season, while Calciomercato adds Juventus are anticipating the Serbian's departure and will seek to replace him with 25-year-old Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman.

– According to Sport, Barcelona are focusing on 25-year-old Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves as their long-term replacement for Sergio Busquets after failing to land Real Sociedad talent Martin Zubimendi.

– Manchester United believe they are priced out of the Harry Kane sweepstakes, per the Daily Star.

– Mail on Sunday are reporting Arsenal have returned with a second offer for 21-year-old Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, but their £70m bid is still below the £80m demand.

– The Telegraph adds that the outcome of Arsenal's push for Caicedo will not affect their desire to sign West Ham midfielder Declan Rice after the season, and they will try to secure both.

Erik ten Hag is waiting for a full diagnosis on Christian Eriksen's ankle injury after the midfielder was pictured leaving Old Trafford on crutches.

The Denmark international was on the receiving end of a strong challenge from Reading striker Andy Carroll during Manchester United's 3-1 FA Cup fourth-round victory.

Carroll avoided punishment from referee Darren England for the tackle, though he was later sent off for two bookable offences.

Eriksen's injury is a cause of concern for United, with crucial Premier League clashes and a Europa League showdown with Barcelona on the horizon, and Ten Hag is waiting for a full assessment on the problem.

"It's always difficult to say so soon after the game finished, but it's an ankle [injury] and we have to see what the diagnosis is," he told a post-match press conference.

"It will be a minimum of 24 hours before we know that, and then I can say more."

Victory for United keeps the club in contention across all competitions this season and the performance of Antony caught the eye, having provided the assist for Casemiro's opener.

Ten Hag had called for more from the pre-season signing following the midweek EFL Cup win against Nottingham Forest and, while he has seen progress, feels there is still more to come.

"I have some experience with him. We have to challenge him and if you challenge him he can adapt, adjust his game, that is what we have to do, definitely," he added.

"He has to be more variable, more dynamic, but also he needs his team-mates and his team-mates around him. But also [needs to know] how to use your team-mates.

"He has to work on that, but he is investing in that at the moment, and you see the progress. But still I think there is a lot of room for improvement."

Ousmane Dembele is expected to miss a run of important games for Barcelona after suffering a strained thigh in their LaLiga win over Girona on Saturday.

The French winger, described by coach Xavi as Barcelona's "most important player in one-on-one situations", may struggle to be back in time for the Europa League play-off first leg against Manchester United, which takes place on February 16 at Camp Nou.

Barcelona have yet to give an official estimate of how long Dembele faces on the sidelines, but local reports have suggested it may be a three-week absence.

The injury took some of the shine off an eighth win in nine LaLiga games, in which Dembele's replacement off the bench, Pedri, scored the only goal.

Dembele made way after 26 minutes and underwent checks before visitors Barcelona embarked on their short journey home.

Barcelona announced on their website: "Tests this evening on Ousmane Dembele have revealed that he has strained the rectus femoris muscle in his left thigh. It means he is sidelined until he can recover from the injury."

Xavi said of Dembele's blow: "It's a shame because he is an important player."

Dembele has eight goals and seven assists for Barcelona this season, with those combined 15 goal involvements bettered only by Robert Lewandowski's 27 (22 goals, five assists) among Xavi's squad.

Barcelona have LaLiga games against Real Betis, Sevilla and Villarreal before the United game.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag acknowledged Casemiro's attacking output has taken him by surprise after the Brazilian scored twice in Saturday's 3-1 FA Cup win over Reading.

United booked their passage to the fifth round thanks to the straightforward victory at Old Trafford.

Despite the ultimately routine nature of the win, it took United 54 minutes to break Reading's resistance – the breakthrough came via Casemiro's impudent scoop following Antony's incisive pass.

Casemiro then got a second four minutes later, his long-range strike taking a slight deflection en route to the bottom-right corner, with Fred getting the third with a cheeky flick.

It was just the latest in a series of exceptional performances from Casemiro since his reported £60million move from Real Madrid in August, the brace taking him to four goals for the season.

Add to that his five assists, and Casemiro's nine goal involvements for the campaign is the fourth-most in the United squad, while he also ranks fourth for open-play chances created (28).

When asked if he was surprised by Casemiro's impact in this regard, Ten Hag told ITV: "Yes. We know he's a great player. The midfield at Madrid with Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, it was great…

"I think he's capable of that [being an attacking threat]. We see offensively he's a part, and he enjoys it when he can come in [to the attack].

"What I like is dynamic football with variations and many positional switches, so we have to make the opponents think, so we can make the most."

United captain Harry Maguire credited the midfielder with having a transformational effect in several aspects.

"He's done what he was brought in to do," Maguire said. "He's a phenomenal player, he has been throughout his career. You don't win what he's won without being a top player.

"He's improved the team, improved the morale and improved the performance, and it's great to have him."

Manchester United had to be patient but eventually cruised to a deserved 3-1 FA Cup win over Reading on Saturday thanks in part to Casemiro's brilliant brace.

The Royals, managed by former United midfielder Paul Ince, frustrated the Red Devils in the first half at Old Trafford, but Erik ten Hag's side simply had too much quality in the end.

Marcus Rashford's disallowed goal in the 35th minute would have been a just reward for United, but a breakthrough was just a matter of time and came via Casemiro's lovely finish.

He then added a long-range second, before Fred's outrageous flick finished Reading off following Andy Carroll's dismissal for two bookings, with Amadou Mbengue's late header a mere consolation.

United were dominant right from the start, with Reading struggling to get out of their half.

Bruno Fernandes went close a few moments before Rashford seemingly ended the visitors' resistance, but his header was ruled out for offside against Wout Weghorst.

Reading then wasted the best chance of the half as Junior Hoilett robbed Tyrell Malacia in the box and forced David de Gea into a vital stop.

United capitalised on that let-off just after the break.

Antony's disguised pass found the run of Casemiro, whose impudent scoop left Joe Lumley well beaten.

Teed up by substitute Fred, Casemiro netted again four minutes later as his first-time 30-yard effort found the bottom-right corner via a slight deflection.

Carroll saw red after a couple of wild challenges, and a minute later Fred made it 3-0 with a sensational backheel from Fernandes' cross.

Mbengue pulled one back with a powerful header, though United's victory was never in doubt.

Marcus Rashford's scintillating form comes from "just confidence" and not the influence of Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, who joked: "I'm not Harry Potter".

The England international scored his 18th goal of the season amid a routine 3-0 EFL Cup semi-final first-leg victory at Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.

Only Erling Haaland (31) has netted more than Rashford among Premier League players in all competitions this term, though Ten Hag says he has had little influence on the United forward's development.

"I'm not Harry Potter," the Dutchman said ahead of Saturday's fourth-round FA Cup clash at home to Reading.

"It's just confidence. Every player has to make and get his own confidence.

"He fought for this, he invested in this. Of course with my coaching staff, we bring in structures, especially in the way of play that gives him routines that he needs to get into the right position.

"But finally, it's up to him, and when the player has the confidence then I'm convinced, in the way we are working – the way of play is most important but the environment and the culture are also important – then the player can perform at his best.

"It's obvious that Marcus is in really good form. From day to day, from training to training, from game to game, the routines are coming in."

Rashford has found the net 10 times after the World Cup, in which England fell to quarter-final elimination against France in Qatar.

Harry Maguire was another to impress in the Middle East for Gareth Southgate's side, but opportunities remain limited on club duty at Old Trafford.

A potential move to Unai Emery's Aston Villa was reported for Maguire, who Ten Hag urged to fight for a starting role at United amid competition from Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof. Luke Shaw has also been used at centre-back.

"No, he's not fifth choice,” he said about Maguire. "But it's up to him.

"I have to say he's training very well, bringing quality, and that is what I expect from all the players in the squad.

"He has to fight for his position and things can change, sometimes really quickly. He is making progress."

An FA Cup clash against Championship side Reading may present Maguire with an opportunity to feature from the start, though Ten Hag refuted claims he does not trust the centre-back in big matches.

He said: "That's not true. After the World Cup he should have played but then he got ill. I can't do anything about that and he knows that. Then the team comes in a run [of form] and he has to wait for his chance."

Manchester United look great value to end their six-year wait for silverware in Erik ten Hag's first season in charge at Old Trafford.

In the words of the Dutchman himself, that is far too long a wait for a club of United's stature to go between trophies.

United fans have not had a huge amount to cheer since their 2016-17 EFL Cup triumph, but that could soon be about to change.

The Red Devils remain in top-four contention in the Premier League, are as good as in the EFL Cup final and are also still in the hunt to win the Europa League and FA Cup.

After seeing off Everton 3-1 in round three of the latter, United now have a meeting with second-tier Reading – managed by ex-Red Devil Paul Ince – for a place in the last 16.

Ahead of Saturday's contest at Old Trafford, Stats Perform picks out some of the standout Opta numbers.

We meet again

You'd be right in thinking this fixture has a sense of familiarity about it, with this the 11th time the two sides have been paired in the FA Cup.

That will make this the joint-ninth most-played fixture in the competition's history since 1912, with Arsenal versus Chelsea and Everton against Liverpool (15) top of that list.

United have advanced from nine of those previous 10 ties, the only exception being a 2-1 loss when the sides met in a second replay in the third-round stage in 1926-27.

Among FA Cup ties to have been played at least six times, only five teams can better United's 90-per-cent win rate against a single opponent in the competition.
 

A one-sided affair

The one-sided nature of this fixture is not reserved exclusively for the FA Cup, either.

Reading have won just one of their 22 games against United when taking all competitions into account and have lost six in a row.

Indeed, you have to go back to that cup tie 96 years ago for the last time the Royals came out on top against United, with that match staged at Villa Park.

Across United's six-match winning run against Reading, they have racked up 15 goals and kept three clean sheets in a row.
 

Right Royal misery

Reading know they will have to pull off a big upset if they are to advance, but their record against Premier League sides suggests that will not be happening this weekend.

They have lost seven of their past eight FA Cup matches against Premier League opposition, with their 3-1 win over West Brom in February 2016 the outlier in that sequence.

United are rightly considered huge favourites for this match, then, not least because they have lost only one of their past 39 home games against teams from outside the top tier.

Ten Hag's side are unbeaten in 14 matches at Old Trafford in the FA Cup against any opponent in a run stretching back to a 2-1 loss to Arsenal in 2015.
 

Europe's hottest player

It doesn't help matters that Reading have endured an inconsistent campaign in the Championship, whereas United have – a few games aside – impressed in the top flight.

Ten Hag deserves huge praise for his early work at United, which includes getting far more out of Marcus Rashford in an attacking sense.

The England international has scored 10 goals in 10 games since the World Cup – a tally no other player across Europe's top five leagues can match.

Rashford netted a late penalty in the previous round and has now been involved in five goals in his past five FA Cup appearances, scoring two and assisting three more.

That could spell bad news for Reading, against whom Rashford scored his only previous brace in the competition in a 4-0 third-round victory in January 2017.