Holders Chelsea and Manchester United have been handed daunting fixture schedules after last year’s finalists were drawn together in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
The Premier League heavyweights will clash in London during an important run of fixtures for both clubs in February.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United will play at Stamford Bridge at some point between February 15-18, days after the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Paris St Germain and a week before a Premier League tussle with bitter rivals Liverpool.
Chelsea travel to Manchester City in the league and Malmo for a Europa League tie in the week before the United tie, and then host the Swedish side in the second leg the following Thursday ahead of facing City at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday, February 24.
The rematch of last year’s FA Cup final, which saw Eden Hazard’s first-half penalty secure Chelsea a 1-0 victory against United at Wembley, highlighted Monday night’s draw.
Chelsea have prevailed in the last four meetings between the two teams in the FA Cup, including the 2007 final, with United last beating the Blues back in 1999, when Solskjaer was a late substitute.
Pep Guardiola’s quadruple-chasing City have a more comfortable looking FA Cup tie inbetween the Chelsea clashes and their Champions league commitments.
City will travel to either Championship side Middlesbrough or fourth-tier Newport in the cup, before heading to Germany to face Schalke and then Wembley for the Chelsea clash.
Elsewhere in the fifth round, League One Doncaster will host Premier League opposition after being drawn against Crystal Palace, who knocked out Tottenham on Sunday.
AFC Wimbledon, the lowest-ranked team definitely through to the fifth round, will face fellow Premier League giantkillers Millwall.
