WIN OR ELSE

Chelsea and Manchester United, already suffering from a crowded fixture list, face the prospect of having to re-arrange Premiership games if they draw their FA Cup ties over the weekend.

The latest fixture chaos emerged yesterday when the Football Association confirmed that any replays required following the fourth-round ties will have to be played on Saturday, Feb 12, and any Premiership or Football League fixtures scheduled for that weekend must be postponed.

Therefore, if Middlesbrough draw at Old Trafford tomorrow, the Manchester derby - scheduled for Sunday, Feb 13 - will be off. Similarly, if Chelsea are held by Birmingham City on Sunday, their Premiership fixture, against Everton at Goodison Park on Feb 12, will need a new date.

The problem is caused because the week after next, when drawn FA Cup ties would ordinarily be replayed, has been set aside for friendly international fixtures, meaning that, with the fifth round scheduled for Saturday, Feb 19, the FA had little option but to "steal" a League date.

Arsenal, though, do not have a game on either Feb 12 or 13; their match, at home to Crystal Palace, is to be televised live on Monday, Feb 14, and so if Arsène Wenger's team are held by Wolves they must replay at Molineux on the Saturday before facing Palace two days later.

An FA spokesman said: "It was agreed last summer, between the FA, the Premier League and the Football League, that this was the only option open to us." A Premier League official insisted they had identified potential dates for any postponed Premiership games.

However, Wenger, Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson will be far from happy that players may travel long distances in international week and return just two days before any FA Cup replay.

The situation could put added pressure on the FA to consider axing FA Cup replays next season. FIFA have ordered that all leagues must end their 2005-06 programmes by May 14 to give countries' squads time together before the World Cup finals.