City will kick off their 2025/26 Emirates FA Cup campaign with their first ever competitive fixture against Salford City.
The Imps make the journey to the Peninsula Stadium on Saturday 1 November (3pm KO) for the first round tie.
Michael Skubala:
"Obviously you need to find a good balance in terms of giving people opportunities to play, but the reality is, we want to do well in this competition.
"We want to win every game we play and we've taken this approach in all of the cup competitions, too. Putting out a strong side in the Carabao Cup gave us the opportunity to play Chelsea and what a night that was for the fans and the whole club.
"We know that it won't be an easy game against a Salford City side who are going really strong. You only have to look at the teams who have come up this season and how strong they are. It should have the makings of a good cup tie and one we ultimately want to win."
Conor McGrandles:
"I love this competition, last year we had a really tough draw in the first round and one we managed to get through in.
"We won't be taking Salford City lightly, they have a lot of good players, a number who I have played against in my career, so we're know what they are all about.
"Like us, they will want to win the game and get through, so we know that it will be a difficult game for us."
Opposition information:
The Ammies have enjoyed a strong start to their Sky Bet League Two campaign and head into Saturday's tie third in the table with 25 points from 14 games.
Daniel Udoh is Salford's top scorer and assister with four of each in all competitions. The Ammies are managed by former MK Dons, Charlton Athletic and Oxford United boss Karl Robinson, who has been at the club since January 2024.
Salford City reached the third round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history last season, where they were defeated by Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
Match information:
City will be wearing their away kit on Saturday, make sure you get yours HERE!
Stephen Copeland will be the man in the middle on Saturday with Kevin Mulraine and Matthew Malton playing the role of assistant referees with Oliver Bickle as the fourth official.
If the tie is level after 90 minutes, the result will be decided by extra-time and penalties.
