Manchester United vs Reading, FA Cup 2016/17: Where to watch live, preview, betting odds and possible XI

Manchester United are the holders of the FA Cup and will start their defence against Reading.

Manchester United take on Reading in the 2016/17 third round FA Cup at Old Trafford on 7 January (Saturday).

Where to watch live

Kick-off is at 12:30pm BST. Live coverage is on BT Sport 2. Radio commentary of the match is available on BBC Radio 5 Live. Catch the highlights of the match on Match of the Day on BBC One and BBC One HD at 10:30pm GMT.

Overview

United enter this fixture after registering a 2-0 win over West Ham United in their last league fixture. The victory was their first three points of this calendar year as Juan Mata opened the scoring before Zlatan Ibrahimovic was once again on the scoresheet for the Red Devils.

Jose Mourinho replaced Louis van Gaal last summer and United won the FA Cup in the Dutchman's last match in charge. They will be looking to defend the trophy in their first match of this campaign.

The former Real Madrid and Chelsea manager will be looking to start this competition on a brighter note with a victory over the Championship side. The support of the home fans should help United seal their second win in 2017.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been the star player for Manchester United this season OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images

Reading enter this fixture after defeating Bristol City 3-2 in the Championship. Since their 2-0 defeat in the EFL Cup on 26 October, they have gone on to win eight of their last 10 matches.

Jaap Stam, who impressed as a player at United will return as an opposition manager. He will be hoping to get a win over his former club, which will see his side progress to the fourth round of the FA Cup at the Red Devils' expense.

What they say

Jose Mourinho: "The thing that made me immediately feel deeply about the club and the people, and the desire to work for the people, is the people. The [people are the] typical Manchester United supporters, the ones that have unbelievable memories of the past, but know the realities of the moment. The ones who keep the expectations for the future but understand the road to arrive there and are always supporting the team, even in the bad moments we have had. That, for me, is the most significant thing because it's the thing that makes you fall in love with a new club. I think that's the thing that touched me more," Mourinho was reported as saying by the Daily Mail.

Jaap Stam: "I get sick of it, Fergie gets sick of it. United maybe get sick of it sometimes. I talk to the press and sometimes I get a question about what happened, again. You try to give a decent answer, but they always try to find a way of making it interesting. I'm not focusing on what happened when I was a player, or what the papers say. It's not going to be an emotional return in the sense I'm going to be crying. It's nice to go back. I love the club, I love the fans and I had a great time there. But this game is not about me, it's about Reading facing Manchester United at Old Trafford. People don't need to write about me, they need to write about the team and what they can do against such big opponents," Stam told BBC.

Betting Odds