Derby County will be looking to build upon their impressive display against Sheffield Wednesday when they face Manchester United in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Thursday.

The Rams sealed all three points at Hillsborough by beating the Owls 3-1 in the Championship last Saturday.

A brace from Tom Lawrence as well as a first-half strike from Jason Knight allowed Derby to climb up to 13th in the second-tier standings.

Now set to face United at Pride Park, it will be intriguing to see whether Rams manager Phillip Cocu opts to make any changes to his starting eleven for this clash.

Whereas Derby have been extremely inconsistent on their travels this season, they currently boast the third-best home record in the Championship and thus will be confident in their ability to cause a major upset in the FA Cup.

However, when you consider that the Red Devils are unbeaten in their last eight fixtures in all competitions, the Rams know that they will have to be on top-form to seal a famous victory in-front of their own supporters.

Speaking to BetVictor ahead of the clash, Michael Owen has predicted that Derby will be knocked out of the world's oldest domestic cup competition by United.

The former Red Devils forward said: "Since his arrival from DC United, Wayne Rooney has been a key influence on and off the field at Derby with some fans at Old Trafford wishing that he had come back to Manchester.

"The United legend will be keen to torment his old side as they visit Pride Park on Thursday evening.

"However, since the arrival of Bruno Fernandes, the Red Devils have looked much more convincing in possession and I see them making it an unhappy reunion for Rooney."

Can you get 15 out of 15 on this Derby quiz? Have a go now!

The Verdict

Although the likes of Rooney, Lawrence and Chris Martin have all been able to deliver the goods for Derby in the Championship since the turn of the year, they may struggle to overcome a United side who have recently stepped up their performance levels under the guidance of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Therefore, in order to have the best chance of booking their place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, the Rams may need to rely on a moment of magic during this particular fixture.

Given that Cocu has a number of players at his disposal who are capable of producing real quality, it would not be at all surprising if Derby end up taking the game to the Red Devils on Thursday.

By producing a positive performance at Pride Park, the Rams could potentially use the momentum gained from this fixture to mount a late push for the play-offs in the Championship.