Harris urges U's to 'stand strong' against Fulham

Neil Harris is in his second spell as Cambridge United boss

Cambridge United boss Neil Harris has accepted his side will have to rely on scraps of possession as they look to cause a Carabao Cup upset against Fulham on Tuesday.

The U's knocked out Championship side Charlton Athletic in the second round and now step up to tackle a Fulham team currently eighth in the Premier League.

It is the first meeting between the two sides in the competition since 1971 - when Fulham won 4-0 - and first of any kind for 28 years.

"Let's be honest, we're going to dominate the ball and run the game, are we?" manager Harris told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.

"It's an isolated game, a one-off. We go into it with a free mind and no focus on anything other than trying to play a 90-minute period, and hang in there for as long as we possibly can against a top team.

"That's how I see it, a one-off game and I'll pick a team accordingly. The league has a separate identity for me."

Cambridge were relegated to League Two last season but have begun the new campaign solidly, and Saturday's 2-1 win over Fleetwood Town left them ninth in the table.

"We know where we're at as a group, how we're going to develop and progress, and this is just another rung on the ladder," Harris said.

"We've had two cup victories and four league victories already this season, and played so well in so many games, but this is a different challenge for us.

"Can we stand strong for 90 minutes? Can we step up and against players who deservedly play in leagues above us?

"Whatever 11 they put out is going to be extremely impressive. They made a lot of changes and won comfortably in the last round against a mid-table Championship side [Bristol City]."

Cambridge last progressed beyond round three in the 1992-93 season. They went on to reach the quarter-finals before losing 3-2 to Blackburn Rovers.

And Harris has urged whoever is picked at Craven Cottage to go out and "showcase themselves".

He said: "We're going to have to be as professional as we can be. We're going to have to defend extremely well as a unit. When we go into 1 v 1 battles, we're going to have to be the best we possibly can in those moments, [and] rely on the goalkeeper to make some saves for us.

"And in the transitional moments, we're going to have make sure we take care of the first action, try and sustain some attacks when the opportunities arise, and if we're fortunate enough to end up in a set-piece situation, make sure we're as good as we can be in those moments."

One player likely to get an opportunity for the U's is former Norwich, Bristol City, Swansea and Derby County midfielder Korey Smith, who has not played since January because of a knee injury.

It will be the first game he has played under Harris, who said: "I've played against him many times over the years and seen his ability and leadership qualities.

"I like having him on the training pitch as part of the group and in the ground on matchdays, he's a winner."