Back to the FA Cup, friends, and on a Friday night too. While tBB is generally in favour of Friday night football — it’s like an early reward for having been good all week — it always feels a little discombobulating. By ten o’clock this evening, we’ll all be done for the weekend. Get thee to a garden centre.

Also a little discombobulating: tonight, Alexis Sánchez might make his debut for Manchester United. If you’d suggested that to tBB even a month ago, we’d have laughed you out of the comments section. Now he’s here, piano and all, and after a week or so of lukewarm takes about his wages, his age, and his failure to join Peppy McPeppington and the Peppeneers, it’ll be a delight to see him actually playing football for Manchester United. Because he’s fun. And football should be fun.

If he plays, that is. His last game for Arsenal was over a fortnight ago, and with Tottenham coming up on Wednesday, you’d think that Jose Mourinho would want to give him a chance to clear the dust out. However, Yeovil’s pitch isn’t quite the pristine carpet that Premier League footballers are used to, and nobody wants to see him get injured. The sensible option is probably to stick him on the bench; the fun option is to start him. Fun, please!

Sánchez aside, Mourinho has promised a strong side this evening, albeit with a couple of players rested. Eric Bailly, Daley Blind, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Michael Carrick are all injured, and the Manchester Evening News have been doing their squad-spotting thing, and reckon David de Gea, Antonio Valencia, Phil Jones, Paul Pogba, and Anthony Martial will all be missing. Youngster Angel Gomes and Kieran O’Hara have travelled, however. Be nice to see them get a game.

Update! Apparently Michael Carrick is in the squad. Welcome back.

FA Cup schedule

It’s a 19.55 kick off at Turf Moor, which means 14.55 on the east cost of the USA and 11.55 over in the west. Time for an extended lunch-break.

FA Cup TV channel

United are on BBC1 in the UK, and FOX Sports 1 or FOX Deportes in the USA. Everybody else, head over to livesoccertv.

FA Cup streaming

You’ll need the BBC’s iPlayer in the UK, and FOX Sports GO in the USA.

Starting lineup

Prediction: Alexis Sánchez; Alexis Sánchez, Alexis Sánchez, Alexis Sánchez; Alexis Sánchez, Alexis Sánchez, Alexis Sánchez, Alexis Sánchez; Alexis Sánchez, Alexis Sánchez, Alexis Sánchez.

Well, one out of 11 isn’t bad.

This is our live thread for the game, so do join us in the comments below.