United's Sanchez back in north London to face Gunners


Manchester United's Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez is set to face Arsenal in the FA Cup on Friday in his first return to the Emirates since leaving the north London side last year.

United interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said Sanchez, who has featured little in recent weeks and missed the last two games with injury, would play against the club he left a year ago. Sanchez scored 80 goals for Arsenal in 166 appearances in all competitions, after joining the club in 2014 from Barcelona. He then moved to United in January 2018 in a transfer swap with Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Sanchez featured in United's 2-1 Premier League win over Arsenal last April but Friday's match will be the first time he plays in front of an almost 60,000-strong crowd that used to idolise him. "He'll be involved. I think he'll love it if the crowd turn against him. As a player, pride kicks in and you think ‘I'll show all of you'," Solskjaer told United's MUTV channel. "He's been fantastic in training, his attitude has been spot on so hopefully he'll enjoy the game."