Paul Merson believes former club Arsenal are going to have to 'sacrifice' their FA Cup third round tie with Manchester United next month, just so they are able to cope with their congested fixture schedule.

With Man United waiting until Sunday to see their piece of the weekend's Premier League action, they will have taken notes of results such as Arsenal's 5-1 victory at Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Mikel Arteta's side swept aside their rivals from the capital, however it came with a cost. Top goal contributor Bukayo Saka was forced off injured massaging his right hamstring with only 24 minutes gone.

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The extent of the winger's fresh issue will be revealed in time, but Sky Sports pundits began to look ahead at the Gunners' next 12 fixtures in all competitions to see which big meetings Saka could miss.

"You look at probably the Man United game in the FA Cup and go ‘you know what? That’s the game we’re probably to have to sacrifice’," Merson announced.

That third round tie between the old rivals is scheduled for Sunday, January 12 at the Emirates Stadium - their fifth fixture on the upcoming list. After Christmas they are required to play on all weekends plus the first seven midweek slots of 2025, and of course cup progression will only mean further congestion.

Thinking they will risk losing matches or further injuries if they don't, Merson added: "I don’t think you can go through them games - Brighton away then Newcastle. If you get through to the semi-final of the Carabao Cup you might as well keep that going if you got that far.

"The Man United game, them for me is a no-go, then you’ve got Tottenham. If you’re a Man United fan looking at that game, we might have a result here."

Given the history of rivalry between the two teams, such a suggestion to throw the match regardless of boosting chances for alternative silverware may not go down too well in North London.