Cambridge United are back at the Abbey on Saturday for the FA Cup second round tie against York City (3pm).

For the second game running, United took a point on Tuesday after trailing 2-0, but having taken just two points from the last three games the U's have dropped down to 11th place with 29 points from 21 games, while in-form York are up to third place with 40 points from their 22 matches.

However the bookies rate the U's as 13/10 favourites with our online betting partners bet365, while Rushden are 21/q0 and the draw is 23/10. Click here for all the match odds.

Team News

Martin Ling is forced into more changes for tomorrow's match, which is one of three all non-league ties in the second round.

Winger Robbie Willmott and fullback Anthony Tonkin were suspended for Tuesday's 2-2 draw at home to Rushden, and although they are available for selection again, midfield pair Paul Carden and Jai Reason each collected their fifth bookings on Tuesday and serve automatic suspensions.

They have started every match in tandem so far this season so Ling must select a new midfield pairing.

Sam Ives is a certain starter after some impressive performances and two goals from the bench, but the manager must decide whether to move Rory McAuley into midfield after some solid performances at right back, or push Brian Saah forward from the middle of defence and hand Josh Coulson a rare start. [Boss Ponders Midfield Options]

He has hinted that McAuley is his likely choice to avoid disrupting the back four, saying, "Rory and Sam have both played in there for CRC and done well, and I know it's a big jump but that's what they're there for.

"I've had a look at a couple of bits in training and I've not made my mind up fully yet, but when the young lads have come in this year they've done well.

"Putting two of them together may be a big ask, but if it feels right in training without disturbing the back four, that may be the way we go."

Ling also has the option of changing formation to play with a back five or a front three but added, "We know what we're good at and we must put our trust in people. I wouldn't be telling the truth if I said I wouldn't rather have at least one of Carden or Reason available, but they're not.

"It makes it a more difficult game because they have started every single game for us, so it's unfortunate that it's happened but we coped with losing our left side on Tuesday and we have to cope with replacing our engine room tomorrow. That's why you have a squad of players."

On Cambridge-born Ives, who has come off the bench fifteen times so far this season and scored twice, Ling commented, "He's been patient but we've always thought he could come in and do it, and I'm very, very confident that Sam can do it."

Ling must wait to see if striker Lee Phillips will be available for selection after the striker missed training on Thursday with a thigh problem, which could mean the manager looking deeper into the squad to fill the seven places on the bench for the FA Cup tie.

"Lee won't make the starting eleven," he confirmed. "We'll have another look at him on Saturday morning and he may make the subs' bench."

The Other Side

York City have climbed the table by winning their last five games and reached this round by beating League Two side Crewe Alexandra 3-2 in a replay.

Leading scorer Richard Brodie is available again after missing the game through suspension and Foyle must pick two from him, former U Michael Gash and in-form Michael Rankine, while defender Djoumin Sangare is added to the squad after returning from injury.

"Martin Foyle had a difficult time there at first and went in there with people that weren't his players, but he's had a chance to turn it around and bring his own players in this year and it's showing dividends this year," said Ling.

"You could say we're a little bit unlucky at the moment to be coming up against form teams. Rushden had seven wins on the trot before they played us and I think York are on a run of four wins, but runs have to end some time and this is an FA Cup game, it's a one-off and a place in the third round draw is at stake.

"Everybody knows we have a tight budget and this is probably our biggest potential money-making opportunity. We could pick up a big game in the third round or a TV game so that puts a certain pressure on the game but we have to live with that."

Ling complained after Tuesday's draw that the team must begin to perform for the whole game and not just some of the 90 minutes, and he drove the point home again with his pre-match comments: "York are a decent side who are above is in the league, but so were the last two teams that we've played.

"We've come out with draws against both of them but when we've played to our potential we've made ourselves better than them. But we can't keep playing for 15 or even 45-minute blocks. If we play for a 90-minute block against York we will win the game."

More information

You can learn more about the Minstermen in Doug Shulman's 'The Other Side' article here, and if you fancy a bet on our match or any other event this weekend visit our official betting partners bet365 - the place where your online betting makes money for the U's.

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