Macclesfield v Crystal Palace: Key stats and player info
- Published
Saturday lunchtime's contest has all the makings of a modern classic.
The competition's holders travel north to face the lowest-ranked side remaining and victory for the non-league hosts would be the biggest FA Cup upset of all time in terms of league places.
So can the phoenix club continue their ascent or will the Eagles soar comfortably into round four?
One hundred and forty six years of history and some memorable cup runs were consigned to the history books when Macclesfield Town ceased trading in 2020. Their revival as Macclesfield FC under current owner Rob Smethhurst and Robbie Savage has been well documented but with the latter leaving for pastures new, it is down to John Rooney – younger brother of Wayne – to mastermind another promotion.
Rooney has experienced a fairly solid start to his coaching career but he and his team have recently endured the worst event imaginable in sport – the loss of a team-mate.
On 16 December, 21-year-old forward Ethan McLeod lost his life after a car accident on the M1 motorway while travelling home after a league match in Bedford. The club's subsequent match against Alfreton was postponed.
McLeod scored three times in seven games for Macclesfield, including once on debut against Atherton Laburnum Rovers in an FA Cup second qualifying round win in September. His goal that day helped Macclesfield reach this stage and he will be fondly remembered on Saturday.
Crystal Palace's current dilemmas pale into insignificance when compared to the devastating loss experienced by those associated with Macclesfield. The south Londoners are without a win in eight league and cup matches and recent reports suggest that club captain Marc Guehi and manager Oliver Glasner could soon be on the move to other clubs.
Palace are sitting on their second-best Premier League points tally after 21 games but have slipped from fourth in the table to 13th in the space of a month following a run of four defeats and two draws. They are winless in eight matches if you include the cup competitions and Glasner's fatigued side appear vulnerable to an upset this weekend if recent form is anything to go by.
Did you know?
Macclesfield FC were formed in 2020 and are competing in the FA Cup proper for the first time. They have never faced Premier League opposition before in this competition, but they have in their previous guise as Macclesfield Town.
The Silkmen could become the first side to reach the fourth round in their debut season since Harlow Town in 1979-80.
Macc have won just one of their past four home games (drawn two, lost one), although it was their previous outing at home to Radcliffe on Tuesday.
Key Players - Danny Elliot
Macc's star striker Danny Elliot was at the pre-match press conference but is an injury doubt after failing to play a minute of the past two games. He is the Phoenix Club's all-time top scorer with 57 goals. Scored a club record 37 times in 2025 across all competitions. Former clubs include Port Vale, Chester and Scunthorpe, and he was linked with an EFL move last summer.
Squad summary
Macclesfield's top scorer, Danny Elliott has failed to play the past two games, and there are doubts around his participation. Left-back Brandon Lee will be absent after suffering a serious knee injury in round two against Slough, but midfielder Josh Kay returns after serving a three-match ban.
