Friday 27 January 2017 13:27, UK
Man Utd travel to Hull City looking to protect a 2-0 lead in the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final on Thursday night, live on Sky Sports 1 HD, and progress to the first domestic cup final of the season at Wembley next month.
However, United manager Jose Mourinho, who has strong history with the competition having won it three times across his two spells in charge at Chelsea, does not believe success necessarily has wider significance.
"I don't see things in this perspective," he said. "It's nice to win competitions, but I don't think it's crucial to doing well after that."
Mourinho is also wary of potential fixture congestion should United make it through to the final.
Reaching the February 26 showpiece, though, would mean the Premier League game against neighbours and top-four rivals Man City, scheduled for the same day, having to be rearranged.
With both Manchester clubs still in the FA Cup and also due to resume European campaigns in the spring, it is unclear when that fixture could be played.
"I know that it's going to be hard if we go step by step," Mourinho said. "If, if, if - we go to the field of the ifs - but if we beat Hull and we play the final, then we don't play against Manchester City.
"The match against Manchester City I'm sure they will choose an amazing moment, difficult for us, to make us play against them.
"Then we have Europa League, a non-stop competition. In the Europa League you have to play last 32 and last 16. If we are going to progress it's going to be really difficult.
"Let's see what happens in this moment. In this moment we have a 25 per cent chance to win the League Cup, which is the first competition to be decided."
Hull, meanwhile, appear to have been given a new lease of life by the appointment of Marco Silva as manager a week before the sides met in the first leg at Old Trafford where United ran out 2-0 winners.
The Tigers remain deep in Premier League relegation trouble, but Mourinho believes his fellow Portuguese will give them a fighting chance of beating the drop.
"I knew it, [it is] no surprise for me," said Mourinho. "It was not just the immediate impact of any team that changes the manager.
"For the next couple of weeks there is always an impact, a new feeling, but then things normally go back to the previous situation.
"I knew that Marco is such a good coach that the team would really improve. It is still a difficult job in hand, still a big fight with six or seven teams for relegation, but he is a very good coach."
Silva, however, has agreed Ryan Mason's head injury has put a different perspective on his challenge to keep the club in the Premier League.
Midfielder Mason is currently making "excellent progress" in St Mary's hospital in London after surgery on Sunday night to repair his fractured skull, sustained during Hull's defeat at Chelsea earlier in the day.
The Tigers take a break from their top-flight survival battle when United visit the KCOM Stadium on Thursday, but Silva said the club's main priority was to maintain its support of Mason and his family as the England international recovers from the damage caused by his clash of heads with Chelsea defender Gary Cahill.
"At this moment, we need to forget everything," Silva said.
"The most important is the player and his family, the other things are not important."
Team news
Hull will be without winger Robert Snodgrass and defender Curtis Davies for United's visit, with the former currently sidelined with a muscle strain, while the latter sustained a hamstring injury at Chelsea.
The Tigers are hoping to receive international clearance in time for Liverpool loanee Lazar Markovic to make his debut, but Mason is recovering in hospital after fracturing his skull at Stamford Bridge.
United have close to a full squad available with no fresh injury concerns, while defender Marcos Rojo is also available again after missing the draw at Stoke at the weekend through illness.
Defender Eric Bailly will also rejoin the United squad in the coming days following Ivory Coast's elimination from the Africa Nations Cup.
Opta stats
United have won 12 and lost none of their last 13 matches against Hull City in all competitions (D1)
Twenty six of the 27 previous occasions of a side losing a League Cup semi-final, first leg by two or more goals have resulted in that side going out - the exception was Aston Villa in 1993/94, who lost 3-1 to Tranmere Rovers in the first leg before winning the second leg 3-1 and triumphing 5-4 on penalties
United have progressed to the final on each of the three previous occasions they have won the first leg of a League Cup semi-final, doing so in 1982/83 against Arsenal, 1990/91 against Leeds United and 1993/94 against Sheffield Wednesday
The Tigers are unbeaten in their last six home League Cup matches (W3 D3), scoring exactly once in each match
The Red Devils have lost four of their last five away League Cup matches against Premier League opposition (W1), most recently losing 2-1 to Sunderland in January 2014
United have never lost a match at the KCOM Stadium, winning four and drawing one in five previous Premier League clashes there. Their last away defeat to Hull came in November 1974 at Boothferry Park in a Second Division match under the management of Tommy Docherty
The only two teams Hull have played more often than Man United (five) at the KCOM without winning are Arsenal and Chelsea (both six games)
Hull haven't scored in any of their last four matches against United - their last scorer was Matty Fryatt in a Premier League clash in May 2014
Wayne Rooney has had a hand in five goals in his last four appearances at the KCOM Stadium for Man United (two goals, three assists)
United have won nine of their last 10 League Cup semi-final, second leg matches, with their only defeat in this time coming against Chelsea in 2004/05
Charlie's prediction
Nobody can have a go at Hull. They're trying their best for Silva, as they did for Mike Phelan, and they have great spirit, but if you're asking them to turn around a two-goal deficit against United then you're asking too much.
Mourinho's side deserved at least a draw from Stoke because they did play well. They've also got this never-say-die attitude back in their make-up.
However, I don't see it being a night where they need it. There's not enough goals in this Hull side and they'll need a tremendous amount of luck.
I think Hull will be caught in two minds as to whether they really go for it or whether they keep it tight and try to do something as the game goes on, and I'm expecting United to pick them off.
Hull don't really have many options but having Snodgrass back would be a boost. I've only met him briefly but I don't think he is the type of lad who would refuse to play even if he did want to leave.
I've got a feeling Mourinho will make a few changes and I think this could be a good night for Marcus Rashford to turn up.
Charlie predicts: 1-2 and Rashford to score first - 22/1 with Sky Bet
Betting
Hull are up against odds of 20/1 to overturn their first-leg deficit, with Mourinho's men 8/11 favourites to lift the trophy and just 1/2 to win on the night. The Tigers are 11/2 just to claim any sort of victory and 40/1 to take the tie to extra time with a 2-0 victory. Zlatan Ibrahimovic heads the first goalscorer betting at 7/2, closely followed by Marcus Rashford (4/1) and Wayne Rooney (9/2), while Abel Hernandez is considered the hosts' main threat at 17/2 to net first.
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