Manchester United defender Patrice Evra will miss the FA Cup fourth round match at Southampton due to a family bereavement, manager Alex Ferguson said on Friday.
Ferguson said goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, who announced the previous day he would be retiring at the end of the season, would also not travel with the team to the south coast for Saturday's meeting with the League One (third division) side.
Midfielder Michael Carrick, who missed the midweek 3-2 comeback victory over Blackpool in the Premier League with an ankle injury has returned to training and should be fit to travel, Ferguson said.
The match pits the Premier League leaders against the club they lost the 1976 FA Cup final to, when a then second division Southampton sprung a major shock.
The Saints are challenging for promotion in their league and Ferguson said he had been impressed with them when he watched them in a 6-0 victory over Oldham Athletic earlier this month.
"They are having a really good season, it won't be an easy game," Ferguson said.
"Away games in cup ties are never easy anyway so it should be a difficult but exciting game too because they definitely play good football and they have a go."
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