GUESS WHO'S BACK? Leicester City's Dutch manager Ruud van Nistelrooy looks on during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on January 26, 2025. Picture: Henry Nicholls/AFP
Image: Henry Nicholls/AFP
Ruud van Nistelrooy returns to Manchester United with his struggling Leicester this weekend, aiming to inflict more pain on his former club in the FA Cup as Marcus Rashford targets a fresh start with Aston Villa.
Holders United kick off the fourth round at home against the Foxes on Friday, with other standout ties including Villa against Tottenham and Brighton v Chelsea.
Birmingham, co-owned by former NFL superstar Tom Brady, will eye an upset against Newcastle, while a struggling Manchester City aim to avoid a monumental shock at third-tier Leyton Orient.
AFP Sport looks at some of the main talking points ahead of the action.
Marcus Rashford has a point to prove after his ugly divorce from Manchester United and could make his debut for Villa against Tottenham on Sunday.
The England man was frozen out by United manager Ruben Amorim, who did not pick him from mid-December onwards, despite the Red Devils' struggles.
Rashford has had a poor season, scoring just four goals in the Premier League, and a paltry seven in total.
But he is eligible to play for Unai Emery's team in the FA Cup because he was not involved for United in their third-round victory against Arsenal.
"I couldn't put Marcus to see the way you're supposed to play football and to train the way I see it," said Amorim.
Villa, who lost Jhon Duran in the transfer window, will be looking to Rashford to help boost their goal output, especially with England international striker Ollie Watkins an injury doubt.
Former United captain Gary Neville, now a Sky Sports pundit, said the move offers Rashford opportunities in a "far better team at this moment in time".
But he said there was pressure on the forward to perform for Emery after his recent poor form under both Erik Ten Hag and Amorim.
"Unai Emery can't be a problem for Marcus Rashford," he added. "He has to play well for him."
Van Nistelrooy will be desperate for a distraction from Leicester's Premier League woes when he visits his former stomping ground Old Trafford.
A star striker for United in his playing days, Van Nistelrooy was appointed as Ten Hag's assistant coach last July, taking interim charge when his fellow Dutchman was sacked in October.
Van Nistelrooy was the man in charge when United beat the Foxes twice at home earlier this season, in the Premier League and the League Cup.
But he was deemed surplus to requirements once Amorim officially started his job as United boss.
Van Nistelrooy will hope to take advantage of United's horrendous home form. Amorim's men have lost five of their last six matches at Old Trafford against Premier League opposition.
But Leicester's plight is worse -- they have lost eight of their past nine league games and are in grave danger of relegation in their first season back in the top division.
Newcastle are riding the crest of a wave after beating Arsenal 2-0 on Wednesday to progress to the League Cup final 4-0 on aggregate.
The Magpies are hoping to end a 56-year wait for a major trophy at Wembley next month against Liverpool and have their eye on another cup run against a side two divisions below them.
However, a trip to St. Andrew's is a potential banana skin. Birmingham are romping clear at the top of League One and are unbeaten in 18 games in all competitions.
AFP