Good afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's fourth-round clash between FA Cup holders Manchester United and Wigan Athletic! After more Premier League sides crashed out of the competition yesterday, Wigan will be hoping to add the latest high-profile casualty with a famous victory at Old Trafford on a day that has already seen Watford and Hull eliminated by lower-league opposition. We will take an in-depth look at both sides a little later, but for now let's start with some team news...

MAN UTD STARTING XI: Romero; Fosu-Mensah, Smalling, Rojo, Shaw; Fellaini, Schweinsteiger, Mkhitaryan, Mata, Martial; Rooney

MAN UTD SUBS: Pereira, Blind, Tuanzebe, Herrera, Young, Ibrahimovic, Rashford

Wigan are being a little tardy with their team news, so while we wait for it to be released let's first have a look at that very interesting Manchester United side. As expected, Mourinho makes a host of changes from the midweek defeat at Hull just three days ago, including handing a start to Bastian Schweinsteiger. The World Cup winner has been frozen out for the vast majority of the season but returns to the side this afternoon for his first start in over a year.

Schweinsteiger is not the only name on that United team sheet which has become unfamiliar of late, with Jose Mourinho also handing starts to Luke Shaw and Timothy Fosu-Mensah. Shaw is included in the XI for the first time since November having spent the last couple of months sidelined through injury, while Fosu-Mensah gets a rare chance to show what he can do. The youngster has been linked with a loan move away from the club this month, but Mourinho opts to give him some game time today.

The Portuguese boss must be in a welcoming mood today as Anthony Martial also returns to the fold having been left out of the last two United squads entirely. Mourinho has called on the winger to show more consistency in his form, with the France international struggling to hold down a place in the side this season. He gets a chance to prove his worth today, however, and is expected to play in a trio alongside Juan Mata and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Captain Wayne Rooney leads the line in an increasingly rare central striking role. It is the position from which he has scored the bulk of his record 250 goals for United, but questions have been raised over his suitability to it in recent seasons, so it will be interesting to see how he copes today. He does have a good record against the Latics, scoring 10 goals in 15 meetings with them, including three separate braces. He also has 22 FA Cup goals for United, although last season was the first time he has won the competition.

In all, United have made nine changes to the team that was beaten by Hull last time out, with the likes of De Gea, Ibrahimovic and Pogba among those to be rested. Smalling and Rojo are the only players to retain their places in the side, although Rojo will be featuring in a different position to the left-back role he carried out at the KCOM Stadium. Romero is in between the sticks in place of De Gea, while Fellaini is among those to come back in.

WIGAN STARTING XI: Haugaard; Connolly, Buxton, Burn, Warnock; Power, Morsy, MacDonald, Perkins, Jacobs; Grigg

WIGAN SUBS: Jaaskelainen, James, Kellett, Tunnicliffe, Morgan, Wildschut, Browne

In contrast to United's nine changes, Wigan name the same starting XI as last weekend, when they beat Brentford to continue their recent winning run. That means another start up front for Will Grigg, who has struggled so far with the step up to the Championship. The Northern Ireland international scored 45 goals in his last two seasons in League One, but so far this term he has managed just five Championship goals for a struggling Wigan side.

Former Manchester United man Nick Powell - who scored for United against Wigan on the Latics' last trip to Old Trafford - is injured for this game, but Reece James, another former United player, has recovered in time to make the bench today. Kellett, Morgan and Wildschut accompany him on the bench having also overcome injury problems of late, while Marcus Browne will be hopeful of making his Wigan debut at Old Trafford.

The visitors will be captained by former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock this afternoon, but aside from that there isn't much experience of facing to-flight opposition in that Wigan starting XI. Sam Morsy was on the scoresheet last weekend to help Wigan past Brentford and will be hopeful of getting another chance today, but in all likelihood it will be the defenders who are most involved for Warren Joyce's side here.

There is no doubt that United come into this match as heavy favourites to progress, and even with nine changes it would be a major shock if they crashed out at this stage. Of course, such upsets are what make the FA Cup so special, but by and large United have managed to avoid being on the wrong end of those in recent times. Indeed, of their last 40 FA Cup ties against lower-league opposition, United have only been eliminated once - by Leeds United in 2009-10.

You have to go back to the 1981-82 season for the last time United lost to second-tier opposition in this competition when Watford dumped them out. Since that defeat United are unbeaten in 25 FA Cup clashes with Championship sides, winning 21 of those and drawing four. Of course, the FA Cup has slipped down the priority list for a lot of big clubs in recent years, but United rarely take their eye off the ball against teams from lower divisions, while Mourinho always wants to win every competition he enters.

Having already picked up the Community Shield during his short United career, Mourinho also steered United into the final of the EFL Cup on Thursday, despite losing the second leg of their semi-final against Hull City. A 2-0 triumph in the first leg proved to be crucial as goals from Huddlestone and Niasse either side of a Pogba strike gave Hull hope, but United held on. The Red Devils remain in the Europa League too, so they are still challenging on all fronts.

A Premier League title challenge is perhaps beyond them now, with 14 points separating them from runaway league leaders Chelsea, but they are at least in the mix when it comes to the Champions League places. It looks like being six teams battling for the four spots, and as things stand United are last in line. However, things do seem to be moving in the right direction for Mourinho's men, and they are just four points off the top four now.

Draws have been the main problem for United in the Premier League - no team has shared the spoils on more occasions and only Spurs have lost fewer games than the Red Devils - but they have at least stopped losing matches as often over the past couple of months. Thursday's defeat to Hull was their first since the beginning of November, ending a 17-match unbeaten streak that included 12 victories. Considering they still made it through to the final Mourinho will perhaps consider it an acceptable loss too.

However, United are now winless in their last three games, and they haven't gone four without a victory yet under Mourinho. It is unlikely that will happen today, though. The Red Devils are on a 16-match unbeaten streak at Old Trafford in all competitions, stretching back to their 2-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester City in September. Indeed, that is their only home defeat in the past year, winning 20 and drawing eight of their 29 games in that time.

United have only won three of their last seven FA Cup home games, though, with all of those wins coming against lower-league opposition - including a 4-0 triumph over Reading in the third round this season. Overall they are unbeaten in this competition since a quarter-final defeat to Arsenal in March 2015, with their triumph at Wembley last season seeing them lift the trophy for a record-equalling 12th time - and a first since 2004. They have also progressed from 11 of their last 12 fourth round ties, with the only exception in that time coming against Liverpool in 2011-12.

It looks like a daunting prospect for Wigan, then, but they will feel that this is as good a time as possible for them to pull off a memorable upset. It has been a pretty miserable season for the Latics so far following their promotion from League One last season, but they have finally begun to hit a good spell of form in recent weeks and come into this match off the back of three straight wins - the first time that has happened all season.

Indeed, those three wins are as many as they managed in their previous 23 matches across all competitions, while they had only won four all season before this run. Should they win today then they would match that tally in January alone, which is a good indication of the scale of their improvement. There is still plenty of work to be done, and the FA Cup won't be their priority by any means, but there have been much more encouraging signs in the past few weeks.

Wigan's form had seen them climb out of the Championship relegation zone prior to yesterday's matches, but Burton Albion's win over QPR has plunged the Latics back in to the bottom three. They currently sit two points from safety, although their involvement in this FA Cup game means that they do have a game in hand over others down there. Their main problem this season has been scoring goals, with their tally of just 24 from 27 games being the lowest in the division.

Wigan actually have a decent defensive record considering their league position - they have conceded just 32 goals, which is the best in the bottom 11 and five fewer than third-placed Reading - but it is that lack of firepower at the other end which has really cost them this season. Goals win games, and it is no surprise that only rock-bottom Rotherham have won fewer matches than the goal-shy Latics this term.

One positive going into today's match is that Wigan have scored more goals - and indeed picked up more points - on their travels than they have in front of their own fans this season. They have still only won three of their last 15 away outings in all competitions, but their form on the road is certainly improving. They have lost just two of their last nine having begun the season with six consecutive away defeats, while victory here would give them consecutive away wins for the first time all season. A clean sheet would make it three in a row for the first time since December 2015 too.

This competition gave Wigan its greatest ever moment in 2013 when Ben Watson famously headed in a winner against Manchester City at Wembley to hand the Latics the only major trophy in their history. Things have gone downhill for them since then, but their last FA Cup win did come in this city - once again against Man City - when they won 2-1 at the Etihad in the 2014 quarter-finals. That gave them an eighth consecutive FA Cup away win, but they have since lost their last two without scoring against Bolton and Bury respectively.

Wigan have progressed from five of their last six FA Cup games against top-flight opposition, and Warren Joyce would no doubt love to continue that impressive record against a club he has an attachment with. Joyce was formerly the Manchester United reserve team manager, with his time at Old Trafford seeing him work with the likes of Pogba, Lingard, Rashford, Fosu-Mensah and Tuanzebe. Joyce took over at Wigan from Gary Caldwell in November and got off to a slow start with just one win and seven defeats from his first 10 games, but he has since turned it around with three consecutive triumphs.

PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes away from kickoff at Old Trafford, which means that it is time for a prediction! Wigan have hit a purple patch and will be arriving at the ground in high spirits and with nothing to lose - a dangerous combination. However, I simply cannot see past a home win this afternoon, with United always seeming to get the job done against lower-league opposition. I'm going for 3-0 to Mourinho's side.

Unsurprisingly, United have utterly dominated the history between these two sides, winning 17 of their 18 previous meetings. The exception to that was a 1-0 defeat at Wigan in the Premier League five years ago, which also happens to be the only time United have failed to score against the Latics. In all, the Red Devils average more than three goals per game against Wigan, hitting 56 goals in their 18 meetings and conceding only five along the way.

Indeed, Wigan have conceded at least two goals in 16 of the past 18 meetings, shipping four goals on six occasions and five goals three times. The Latics have been beaten on all eight previous visits to Old Trafford too, conceding 28 goals and scoring just the one in that time. The most recent visit came in September 2012 when Scholes, Hernandez, Buttner and Powell were all on the scoresheet in a 4-0 United win.

This is the first ever FA Cup meeting between the sides, but they have faced each other in cup competition before. This is a repeat of the 2006 League Cup final, which United won 4-0, while the most recent contest between the two sides came in the 2013 Community Shield. Robin van Persie scored twice at Wembley on that occasion to give United a 2-0 win.

Right, we're just a couple of minutes away from kickoff now. It has been three upsets from three in the FA Cup so far today - can Wigan keep up the trend?

KICKOFF: Here we go, then! Manchester United get us underway at Old Trafford...

The opening couple of minutes suggest that Martial will be playing as the centre-forward, with Rooney operating in the number 10 role. It is Martial's favoured position, but he hasn't made the best of starts so far, already giving the ball away on a couple of occasions.

It has taken less than five minutes for the Will Grigg song to kick off in the away end. He hasn't been in the best form, but that won't stop the fans singing his name with a chant that catchy!

Wayne Rooney was given a special award by Sir Bobby Charlton before kickoff having broken his 44-year-old goalscoring record at the club...

#ROONEY250 - Congratulations again to #MUFC's all-time record goalscorer, @WayneRooney! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/YmSgEVTdBA — Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 29, 2017

Not much to report in the opening exchanges here. United, as expected, are seeing the majority of the ball, but none of it is coming in areas threatening to Wigan.

SAVE! The first save of the match comes from Romero as Wigan win a free kick inside the United half and float it over to the giant Dan Burn at the back post. He nods the ball down to Connolly on the edge of the area, and his vicious half-volley stings the palms of the United keeper.

Warren Joyce will be content with what he has seen from his side in the opening 15 minutes or so. They have got about United well and are not making things easy for the home side. They certainly don't seem overawed by the occasion.

United aren't moving the ball quickly enough to break Wigan down at the moment. The midfield pair of Fellaini and Schweinsteiger aren't exactly the most dynamic of duos, and that is clear to see at the moment.

Good pressure from Wigan, who are beginning to see more of the ball inside the United half. Right now it is the visitors who look the most likely to break the deadlock.

Not only have the visitors almost made it through the first 20 minutes unscathed, they have actually been the better side so far. It took United a while to get going on Thursday, and it has been another slow start from them today.

Wigan are doing a particularly good job of hounding the United players in midfield, winning possession around the halfway line plenty of times already. That energy is causing problems for Schweinsteiger and Fellaini.

Some frustration creeping into Rooney's game already here as he yells at Shaw to make an overlapping run, which the full-back is slow to do. United are very out of sorts at the moment.

CHANCE! Much better from United as they begin to put the pressure on, and it leads to their first chance of the match. A long pass over the defence almost finds Mkhitaryan in the area but Burn comes across to get his head to it. His clearance only falls to Mata, who volleys it narrowly over.

SAVE! Rooney is dispossessed inside his own half and is furious that no free kick was given, but Wigan play on and the ball eventually finds Power. The midfielder lets fly from range, but his shot is straight at Romero.

Good opportunity for the visitors to create a chance here as Fosu-Mensah bundles in to Perkins to concede a free kick in a good crossing position...

Power's delivery is well dealt with by United, who quickly break through Mkhitaryan. Burn keeps pace with the winger, though, and produces a good old-fashioned sliding challenge to halt the counter.

We've had half an hour now, and if United fans expected an easy match today then they will have learned otherwise in the opening exchanges here. Wigan have made this a proper cup tie.

CHANCE! Oh it should be 1-0 to United! It is an absolute sitter for Mkhitaryan, but somehow he puts it wide. The hosts break quickly through Martial, who bursts forward before slipping a pass out wide for Fosu-Mensah. The youngster fires a low cross right along the face of goal to pick out Mkhitaryan at the back post, but with the goal gaping he puts it wide.

United have another chance here as Warnock brings down Schweinsteiger to give the hosts a free kick just within shooting range...

Rooney opts to cross the ball instead, but the delivery is put behind for a corner, which eventually comes to nothing.

United have grown into the game more and more as this first half has progressed, but they still aren't at their best. No shots on target from the home side so far.

Morsy and Fellaini are involved in a wrestling match in the middle of the park, and it is hard for the referee to see just who is at fault. Fellaini is the man penalised, although the replay shows that Fellaini has been harshly done by there.

CHANCE! Chance for Wigan to take the lead as the ball falls to Morsy in the area and he tees up Jacobs, but the midfielder completely fluffs his lines and misses the ball. That was a big opportunity for the visitors!

United really should be ahead following that earlier Mkhitaryan chance, but they can't have any complaints at going into the break goalless. They have seen the majority of the ball here, but they are struggling to break down an organised Wigan outfit.

Apologies Wigan fans, that'll be the curse of the commentator in action. Fellaini gives United the lead right on the stroke of half time following a long spell of possession from the hosts. Schweinsteiger eventually delivers the cross into the box, and Fellaini is simply too strong from Connolly, getting in front of his man and nodding it home.

There will be one minute of added time at the end of this first half.

The first half comes to an end at Old Trafford, and it is United who go into the break with a narrowly lead after that late goal. Wigan did very well for the majority of the first half, frustrating the hosts and more than holding their own for the most part. However, they now have plenty of work to do if they are to keep their place in the FA Cup.

The only goal of the half came right on the stroke of half time when Fellaini nodded home from close range after a prolonged spell of possession. It eventually came when Schweinsteiger lofted the ball into the middle, and Fellaini simply had too much for Connolly at the back post to muscle his way in front and convert past Haugaard.

In truth, United should have been ahead before that when Mkhitaryan somehow skewed an effort wide with the goal gaping. Fosu-Mensah's low ball across the face of goal set it on a plate for the winger, but he couldn't tap it home when he simply had to score. At the other end, Romero has been called into a couple of saves, but nothing too troublesome.

KICKOFF: Wigan get us back underway for the second half at Old Trafford. Can they get themselves back into this match?

This second half has quickly dropped into a similar pattern to the first, with United seeing plenty of the ball but knocking it about a bit too slowly, allowing Wigan to apply pressure.

CHANCE! Chance for United to double their advantage as Burn gives the ball straight to Rooney, who in turn plays the ball through to Fosu-Mensah. The defender bears down on goal but gets his finish all wrong, skewing it wide.

CHANCE! Another chance for the home side as Schweinsteiger pounces onto a loose pass out of the back from Warnock. It suddenly all opens up for the German on his way into the box, but when he finally does get a shot away it is well blocked.

You'd have to say that a second goal would probably kill this game off given Wigan's lack of attacking threat. Grigg has been isolated today and it would be very hard to see them scoring twice here.

CHANCE! Big chance for Wigan to level things up! A cross from the right entices Romero out for it despite no Wigan players being in the box. The keeper palms the ball straight to Perkins, but Romero redeems himself by keeping out the low shot.

YELLOW CARD! Dan Burn is the first name in the book this evening for a body check on Martial.

Game over? United take a huge step towards the fifth round by doubling their lead, and it is another header. Martial collects the ball on the left and beats his man before standing a cross up towards the far post, where Warnock is up against Smalling. There is only ever one winner there, and sure enough Smalling gets in front of the defender to nod home from close range.

WIGAN SUB: The visitors make the first change of the match as Perkins is replaced by Yanic Wildschut.

Wigan need to throw caution to the wind now. They have around half an hour to try to get themselves back into the match, and they need to take a few more risks if they are to stand any chance of doing that.

Concern for Fosu-Mensah here as he lands awkwardly following an aerial battle with Wildschut. The defender requires treatment and may not be able to continue here.

It is all about game management for the hosts now. They will just keep the ball away from Wigan, who must surely be tiring now having worked extremely hard today.

MAN UTD SUB: Fosu-Mensah did return to the field, but his afternoon is over now as Axel Tuanzebe comes on for his Manchester United debut.

MAN UTD SUB: Another change from the home side as Fellaini is replaced by Ander Herrera.

WIGAN SUB: The visitors respond with a change of their own as Will Grigg is replaced by Ryan Tunnicliffe.

CHANCE! Half a chance for the hosts as Mkhitaryan finds Rooney, who beats one man before standing a cross back to Mkhitaryan, but he skews his effort wide.

CHANCE! Chance for Wigan at the other end as Connolly is left in space to get his head onto a free kick. He doesn't connect with his header too well, though, and it is simple for Romero to collect.

Devastating counter-attack from United to kill this game off once and for all! Mkhitaryan leads the charge before working the ball down the left channel for Martial. The Frenchman returns the favour with a low ball back in to Mkhitaryan, who applies the finishing touch from close range.

WIGAN SUB: A third and final change for the visitors as West Ham loanee Marcus Browne makes his debut, replacing MacDonald.

CHANCE! Almost an immediate impact from Browne with his first touch! A low ball into the middle isn't dealt with by Tuanzebe, who hits his clearance straight at Smalling. The ball bounces to Browne, but his shot is blocked by Smalling.

CLOSE! Almost a fourth for the home side as Martial rises highest at the back post but sees his knockdown turned just over his own bar by Burn.

MAN UTD SUB: Interesting change from the hosts as Romero is replaced in goal by Joel Castro Pereira - another debutant.

The biggest cheer of the match greets United's fourth goal, and one for Bastian Schweinsteiger of all people! Rooney's corner is nodded into a dangerous area by Herrera, and Schweinsteiger is there unmarked to flick the ball home in acrobatic fashion. Not a bad way to mark your first start in more than a year!

This scoreline perhaps flatters United a little bit considering how even the first half was, but it looks like being back-to-back 4-0 wins in the FA Cup this season. An emphatic start to their FA Cup title defence.

This has been very comfortable for United in the second half. They haven't quite been at their best, but they haven't needed to be in truth.

DISALLOWED GOAL! United have the ball in the back of the net again as Martial fires home from inside the box, but the whistle had gone for a high foot from Schweinsteiger.

It didn't look like being quite that comfortable for much of the first half, but United stroll into the last 16 of the FA Cup courtesy of a 4-0 victory over Wigan. Fellaini opened the scoring just before half time, and from then on there never looked like being a way back for Wigan. Chris Smalling doubled the advantage in the second half before Mkhitaryan killed the game off once and for all, but the most popular scorer was the last one as Bastian Schweinsteiger marked his first start for more than a year by adding a fourth.

Right, that is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's match as United continue their FA Cup defence with a 4-0 triumph over Wigan. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!