David O'Leary is hoping his Leeds United can emulate the Arsenal side of 1993 which beat non-league opposition en route to an FA Cup final victory.

The Irishman takes his United side to big-spending Rushden & Diamonds on Saturday for one of the ties of the third round.

The Conference outfit are hoping to spring a major surprise by becoming the first non-league side to knock out top flight opposition since Sutton United beat Coventry in 1989.

However O'Leary is drawing inspiration from his days at Arsenal when the Gunners travelled to Yeovil six years ago and pulled off a 3-1 victory thanks to an Ian Wright hat-trick.

The Leeds boss said: "It will be a very, very tough game indeed for us. But I went to Yeovil in the third round the last time I was part of a cup winning side and it was a hard game which we got through.

"And when we looked back after the final victory over Sheffield Wednesday in May we all agreed it had probably been the toughest test of all our FA Cup games.

"Maybe that can be an omen for us and that we can look back in May and point to the game against Rushden & Diamonds."

Leeds go into the clash with a host of injury problems with David Batty and Lucas Radebe out for at least another month and both Robert Molenaar and Martin Hiden ruled out for the season.

And with defender David Wetherall out of action due to suspension, it means Alf-Inge Haaland could be pressed into action as an emergency centre back alongside teenager Jon Woodgate.

O'Leary said: "We are down to the bare bones with only one player out of our normal five centre halves available. A lot of people keep asking me about David Batty and Lucas Radebe but I cannot see them returning for at least another month.

"It will be tough because it is their cup final. I went down to watch them earlier this week and they are a hard team who move the ball quickly.

"I suppose this tie is what the Cup is all about."

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