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It was Dowie who was to move on next though as the veteran Northern Ireland international striker turned manager took on the Charlton Athletic post at the end of May. Just two days later at Selhurst Park and McDonald left the Eagles with immediate effect with chairman Simon Jordan saying that he wanted to employ a whole new management team following Dowie's exit to Charlton.
United's record at the Valley is dire to say the least, the Blues having never won there and having only claimed six draws from sixteen games in South London. The two sides have only been drawn together once before in the League Cup, back in the 1980-81 when the Addicks won 4-2 on aggregate in a two-legged second round tie, Carlisle losing both matches 2-1.
Charlton and the Cumbrians last played each other in the 1985-86 Division Two campaign, at Brunton Park, both clubs heading in opposite directions at the end of the season as the Addicks were promoted and the Cumbrians were relegated. Wes Saunders bagged a brace for United in the penultimate game of the campaign as Carlisle went 2-0 up by the half-hour mark.
An own-goal by Jim Tolmie that started somewhere near the halfway line and ended up in the back of the Carlisle net, began the slide to defeat though. That own goal from hell giving Charlton a stake in the game, and firing them up for an eventual 3-2 win through strikes from Mark Stuart and Mark Aizlewood.
For a complete head-to-head record of matches between the Addicks and the Blues click here
Charlton have started the season poorly under the new stewardship of Dowie, although the ex-Northern Irish international hasn't been helped by injuries to a few of his summer signings. Athletic having lost four out of their first five Premier League matches, the only win coming 2-0 at home to Bolton Wanderers courtesy of a Darren Bent brace, one of the former Ipswich Town striker's two goals coming from the penalty spot. The early part of the fixture list has hardly been kind to the South Londonders though, three of the four losses coming against the top three in the table in Portsmouth, Manchester United and Chelsea, the other reverse coming in a local derby at West Ham.
The Addicks are currently nursing injuries to numerous players, including centre-back Jonathan Fortune who played the second-half of the 1-0 defeat against Portsmouth on Saturday despite having a broken toe, although the Islington-born defender may still feature tomorrow night. Andy Reid and Souleymane Diawara both with hamstring injuries, and Djimi Traore, due to a broken leg, are still out of contention, along with Bryan Hughes missing because of a thigh strain.
Those injury problems mean that there could be a chance to make his starting debut for 19-year old defender Nathan Ashton, while youngsters Kelly Youga and Osei Sankofa may also figure. Ashton looking likely to be called into action as Icelandic international Hermann Hreidarsson is serving the last match of a three-game ban for violent conduct, after he was sent off for catching Kevin Davies with an elbow in the 29th minute of the Addicks home win over Bolton. Charlton boss Dowie may also be keen to rest Darren Bent and Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink, meaning that Kevin Lisbie could be in line for a first start since the final away game of the 2004-05 season at Chelsea.
The referee for tomorrow night's eagerly awaited tie is Steve Tanner from Somerset and he will be assisted down the lines by Chris Francis from Cambridgeshire and Gary Young from Bedfordshire, meanwhile the fourth official will be Ian Bentley from Kent.