Manchester City v Reading

Last updated : 11 March 2011 By BBC Sport

Striker Mario Balotelli could be a doubt for Manchester City after being replaced in Thursday's defeat in Kiev complaining of an allergic reaction.Skipper Carlos Tevez and midfielder Nigel de Jong could return to the starting XI but a hamstring injury is likely to sideline James Milner.

Reading team news to follow.

BIG-MATCH FACTS

The tie in context

• Reading are the only club from outside the Premier League still competing in the FA Cup.

• Barnsley, Cardiff and West Brom were the last Championship clubs to reach the semi-finals in 2008/09.

Gulf in class

• Manchester City go into the weekend 25 places higher than Reading in the pecking order.

Head-to-head

• These clubs are meeting for the first time since the 2007/08 Premier League season, when both fixtures were won by the club playing at home.

FA Cup records and best performances

• Manchester City hold a 100% FA Cup record over Reading, despite both previous ties going to replays.

• City recorded 7-0 and 4-0 victories in those replays.

• This is the third successive occasion, Manchester City have been drawn at home against the Royals in the FA Cup.

The clubs

MANCHESTER CITY

Current form

• Won four of five.

• Undefeated in six league and cup games, conceding just one goal in the process.

• The defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford on 12 February, is their only loss in 10.

• Not lost in 10 home games, since Everton's visit to Eastlands on 20 December.

FA Cup form

• Appearing in the quarter-finals for the third time in six seasons.

• The four-times winners, who have not lifted the trophy since 1969, are hoping to reach the last four for the 11th time and first since 1981, when they finished runners-up to Tottenham.

• Needed replays to knock out Leicester and Notts County in the third and fourth rounds.

• Nottingham Forest were the last Championship club to knock them out, when they were defeated 3-0 at Eastlands in the third round in January 2009.

• Their 15 goals in this cup run have been shared between 10 different scorers; Carlos Tevez and Patrick Vieira have scored three each.

CHRIS BEVAN BLOG

Would a revamp revive the FA Cup or ruin it?

READING

Current form

• Won the last three, scoring a total of nine goals.

• Undefeated in seven (W4, D3).

• Shane Long has scored seven goals in eight games, two of them in the FA Cup.

• Bidding for a third successive away win.

FA Cup form

• Knocked out Everton in the fifth round to land a place in the quarter-finals for the second season running.

• Setting their sights on eliminating a fourth top-flight club in two seasons.

• Lost to Aston Villa at this stage a year ago.

• Chasing only their second appearance in the last four. The first was in 1927.

Replay date

Saturday, 2 April 2011 (Kick off: 1500 BST)

Match officials

Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire)

Assistant referees: Andy Garratt and Dave Bryan

Fourth official: Lee Mason

Source: BBC Sport

Source: BBC Sport