Sanchez: Anything can happen it’s the romance of the cup!

The Spanish goalkeeper played his part at the Crown Oil Arena ten days ago when Dale drew 1-1 with the Premier League outfit and isn’t ruling out a cup upset in the third-round replay. 

He said, “It’s a big game and one we’re all looking forward to. We had a good 2-0 win against Bolton at the weekend and now we can focus on this one.

“It’s an iconic venue with so much history. They are a massive club and I’m so excited – it’s one of the games you have to embrace.

“The magic of the cup is still alive. We felt we could have even won the original game - we had good chances and did amazingly, but now we have another chance and we’ll give it everything.

“Both my parents and sister are coming to the game and they’re really excited, so that’s a bit of pressure – in a nice way! You have to cherish these occasions. The nerves are good and anything can happen, it’s the FA Cup.”

Brian Barry-Murphy’s team have already run top-flight opposition close in a cup tie this term. Sanchez, who has made 28 appearances since joining Dale at the start of the season, was in the side when they lost 5-3 on penalties to Manchester United in the Carabao Cup after drawing 1-1 in 90 minutes.

That was the night when 16-year-old Luke Matheson equalised 12 minutes from time a month after collecting his GCSE results and Sanchez is hoping Dale can create similar memories tonight, albeit with a different outcome at the end of the game.  

“I had a great experience at Old Trafford. That was unbelievable and something I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” he said.  

“Going into these sorts of matches the preparations don’t change, but there’s no getting away from the fact it’s a game that we’re really looking forward to. We’ve had our usual meetings and training but now it’s about what we do on the pitch.”