Saturday May 11, 2013
Kick off: 17:15
FA Cup Final
Wembley
Manchester City have close to a full squad available. Midfielder Yaya Toure is fit after recent concerns about fatigue and playmaker David Silva is in contention to start for first time since suffering a hamstring injury at Manchester United a month ago. Back-up goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon, who has played in all the previous rounds, is expected to be selected ahead of England number one Joe Hart.
Roberto Martinez must decide whether to stick with his wobbly defence for Wigan’s first FA Cup final appearance. Antolin Alcaraz (hamstring) is rated no more than a 50-50 chance, while captain Gary Caldwell is most at risk following his mistake against Swansea on Tuesday and Roger Espinoza looked ill at ease in the left wing-back role. Ali Al Habsi is expected to return at the expense of on-loan Joel Robles in goal, as he did for the semi-final win over Millwall.
MANAGER QUOTES
Roberto Mancini on the retirement of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson: “It was a great honour to beat him at Old Trafford and I wish him good luck for his future. I don’t think there’ll be another manager like him. To win every trophy for 27 years is incredible situation. In Europe, there are other good managers. I don’t know if you can say Sir Alex is the best ever but he is the best in the last 27 years. A top club, a big club like United, you can change the manager. Sir Alex built this team but it is a big club with a big history and I don’t think it will change something.”
Roberto Martinez: “You don’t get many opportunities to enjoy what the FA Cup brings. It’s a historic moment, a moment to be proud of. It’s such an easy game to manage from a mental point of view because it will get over a billion audience, and you’re playing at Wembley so it’s an incredible moment. You don’t need any motivation for that. I know what it means to the fans and to the rest of the footballing world to have our name alongside an FA Cup final playing the champions of England. I think in the last few games [against City] they’ve been games that could have gone either way. We left it for that big occasion to be able to compete against a phenomenal side.”