FA Cup shock! United NOT on telly

MANCHESTER UNITED’S run of 58 televised FA Cup matches is over after their third-round tie with Derby County was snubbed by broadcasters BT Sport and BBC. It will be the first time since January 2005 that United have not been shown on TV in the FA Cup — a goalless draw with Exeter City at Old Trafford. BT Sport will show the ‘M23 derby’ between Brighton and Crystal Palace, which will be the first competitive match in England to use a video assistant referee. The VAR will be used in selected fixtures throughout the rest of this season’s FA Cup. Video assistants were used for England’s recent friendlies against Germany and Brazil, but weren’t called into action. The VAR trials will also include the Carabao Cup semi-finals. The VAR will inform the referee of any clear and obvious error. The referee then has the power to change the original decision based on the new information provided by the VAR, or watch a replay on the side of the pitch. Meanwhile, Manchester City are ready to scrap plans to tour China next summer, raising the possibility of another derby in America against Manchester United. Jose Mourinho is determined to return to California, having taken his United squad there last July, and Pep Guardiola would also prefer a return to America. The highlight of last summer’s US tour was a first Manchester derby on foreign soil, which United won 2-0 in Houston, 12 months after a planned exhibition game between the two clubs in Beijing was cancelled at the last minute because of the dreadful state of the pitch at the Bird’s Nest Stadium.