The top spots in Group One of the Setanta Sports Cup will be decided tonight, the big game taking place in Drogheda (kick-off 8.05), where Derry City must win by two goals if they are to bag a place in the competition's semi-finals.
Linfield, fresh from making the Irish League title all but a mathematical certainty at the weekend, are the only team in the group certain of progressing to the last four. David Jeffrey's side will still need to win at Glentoran tonight if they are to be sure of topping the group and earning a home tie with Cork City.
Drogheda and Derry, though, have more at stake, with United also aiming to top the group while facing the possibility of elimination as well. The visitors are without Darren Kelly, Pat McCourt (both injured), Alan Moore and Peter Hynes (both ineligible), but Pat Fenlon is positive about the task after his side's clean sheet and win in Waterford on Friday night.
"We'll go there in a positive frame of mind, we won't be going mad in the early stages," he said.
Like City, United are without a number of important players, Paul Doolin's injury list growing steadily, it seems, since the start of the season. Shane Barrett, Jason Gavin, Richie Baker, Dan Connor, James Keddy and Graham Gartland are ruled out - the first three are long-term absentees.
Doolin reckons that leaves him with 16 established players for the game, in which the home side need to avoid a substantial defeat if they are to maintain hopes of retaining the trophy they lifted last year.
His problems are eased at least a little by the return of his left-sided defender Steven Gray, who came through Friday's impressive win over Sligo Rovers, his first outing of the season, without any problems.
Today's soccer fixtures
(7.45 unless stated)
INTERNATIONAL MATCH - Kuwait v Egypt.
ENGLISH FA PREMIERSHIP - Arsenal v Manchester City; Manchester Utd v Sheffield Utd (8.0).
ENGLISH LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP - Burnley v Norwich; Leicester v Birmingham.
SCOTTISH LEAGUE - First Division: Clyde v St Johnstone.
SETANTA CUP - Group one: Drogheda Utd v Derry City; Glentoran v Linfield.
IRISH LEAGUE - Division One: Institute v Portstewart.
