Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has revealed that ending the club's 10-year FA Cup drought is a priority this season.
The Red Devils have not won the competition since a 3-0 victory over Millwall in the 2004 final.
United do not have the Champions League on their calendar this campaign and have already been knocked out of the Capital One Cup, having suffered a 4-0 humiliation at the hands of League One MK Dons.
Van Gaal hopes to do much better in the FA Cup, the third-round draw of which is scheduled to take place on Monday, as some of United's long-serving players 'desperately' look to fill a hole in their trophy cabinet.
He told the Manchester Evening News: "The league is our priority but the draw for the FA Cup will be made after this coming weekend's matches. I know what the FA Cup means to this club, our players and our fans. Its place in the history of Manchester United is well known.
"So it is hard to believe that long-serving players such as Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick and Jonny Evans have never won this cup. It is a medal I know they are desperate to get their hands on.
"Without Champions League football this season, and after the disappointment of being knocked out of the League Cup so early in the competition, the FA Cup will be a welcome addition to our current Premier League schedule. This is a very important competition and probably the most famous domestic cup in the world."
Third-round ties for the FA Cup are due to be played on the weekend of January 3.
Joe Fish
