Sheffield United’s plan to ask Manchester City for permission to field FA Cup heroes Tommy Doyle and James McAtee in the semi-final will be thwarted by the competition rules.
Blades boss Paul Heckingbottom had said he would seek “discussions” with Pep Guardiola if the draw paired the clubs.
That happened, but the FA’s own competition rules forbid loan players to turn out against their parent club.
Doyle and McAtee will be ineligible, regardless of City’s stance.
Sheffield United and City will meet at Wembley on the weekend of 22-23 April after Doyle’s superb late goal secured the Blades a thrilling 3-2 quarter-final win over Championship promotion rivals Blackburn.
However, the FA Cup rules state: “The Association will not give permission for players on loan or work experience to play against the lending club.”
‘A huge achievement and special season’
Doyle’s winner came at the end of a pulsating last-eight tie in which Jon Dahl Tomasson’s Rovers twice led only to be hauled back by an own goal from Sam Gallagher and Oli McBurnie’s 81st-minute leveller.
It leaves the Blades seeking glory on two fronts as they remain second in the Championship with nine matches to play, three points above third-placed Middlesbrough and with a game in hand.
“I will enjoy it, for us to be in with a shout of automatic promotion and in an FA Cup semi-final is a huge achievement and we’d love to cap off a really special season,” Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Sheffield.
“It sounds great, unreal. I’ve been fortunate enough to go there [Wembley] and win but I’ve also lost there.
“I’m surprised how many in our squad haven’t played there so it’s going to be a big occasion and one that everyone should enjoy. It’s huge. There are four teams left and we’re going to be one of them.
“I think the game [against Blackburn] would have been a fantastic watch for everyone and certainly both teams played their part in that. To come back from going behind twice to a counter-attacking team says a lot about the character and perseverance.”
In addition, Heckingbottom paid tribute to Doyle, who also scored the winner in the Blades’ midweek league win at Sunderland.
“For us to get the winner with such a goal at the end of the game probably capped off what the game deserved really,” he said.
“When we’ve spoken about Tommy I’ve said he should get more goals, especially when we’ve played him higher up and it was only a matter of time before it started.
“His technique is top and he can generate the pace, power and dip. For him to get that goal today, it’s what he came here for.”