Portsmouth arrive at the Boleyn Ground on Tuesday night with Alan Curbishley hoping to cut short the visitors' FA Cup celebrations.
The south-coast club secured their place in the 17 May showpiece after semi-final success at the weekend and the manager is well aware that some will expect Harry Redknapp's visitors to be distracted on their return to Barclays Premier League action. "I don't know if it is a good time to play Portsmouth," Curbishley said. "Sometimes people talk like that at times but they must be on a fantastic high. It is great for them. They come down to earth on Tuesday night and hopefully it is with a bump and we get the result."
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The manager is expecting to have 18-year-old striker Freddie Sears available, having "had to hold him back a little bit last week" after a groin problem. He added: "He felt he was all right but I wanted to make sure that he was available ... when I spoke about hoping one or two players would be back to give us a lift, enthusiasm and fresh legs, he comes into that category. He should get some football in the next six games."
While Sears and fellow recent Academy graduates James Tomkins and Jack Collison are in the frame, Portsmouth will be without the last striker to blaze a trail through United's youth side - Jermain Defoe. The England forward has been given compassionate leave to travel to his grandmother's funeral in St Lucia. Although, Portsmouth will be without a man who has scored eight goals in the last seven games, Curbishley knows the sixth-placed club will expect a repeat of their 2-1 win at the Boleyn Ground in December 2006.
"They came here last year and scored two set-plays and that was just at the time we were looking to pull away from the trouble we were in. This year, Portsmouth have again done what most of us would have liked to. They have brought players into their side and by and large they have all played, they have all stayed fit. They have all been in a team that has been consistent, the only bad spell they had was when the Africa Cup of Nations came along and they missed three or four of them ... it has been a very settled side and all the players have stayed fit and been available."
For all of the deserved praise heading Portsmouth's way this season, a home win would move United to within six points with five games left to play. Curbishley was revealed he was "delighted" for his opposite number Redknapp for what has been achieved with a Wembley showpiece. "Harry has been around a long while and he was perhaps thinking the chance may have passed him by and he has gone and got there this year. Everybody in the game is delighted that someone who has been around so long has now got to Wembley and not many people get an opportunity to do that."