Hayden's up for the Cup

But Mullins insists he would rather win tonight's third-round replay against Manchester City than the Premier League clash against the same side on Sunday.

"If I had to make a choice I would take a win in the FA Cup," said Mullins. "Knowing that if we beat City the fourth-round game is Sheffield United, which realistically is a winnable game for us, it's the Cup for me.

"We could go on and lose to City in the league on Sunday but win the next two to make up the ground whereas the FA Cup is a one-off - get beat and that's it for another year."

Despite Kitson's claim, many players still dream of appearing in an FA Cup Final, and Mullins has an extra incentive to make that a reality.

Two years ago, he was looking forward to a final against Liverpool. However, a fortnight before the Millennium Stadium match, Mullins and Luis Garcia were sent off in a Premier League game between the two finalists and both were suspended for the big day.

It was one of the most memorable finals for years, which Liverpool eventually won on penalties.

"It was a disappointing end to a great run for me," said former Crystal Palace star Mullins. "It was unbelievably hard to take at the time. It was a silly red card, my own fault I remember, but perhaps I will get another chance. That's my dream. With a bit of luck this year, why not?"

West Ham have had a horrendous run of injuries, but Mullins has been lucky to avoid the treatment room.

He has been an almost ever-present this season and boss Alan Curbishley must decide whether to give the former Crystal Palace man and other players such as Matthew Upson and George McCartney a rest tonight.

Mullins, however, wants to be in the thick of the action at Eastlands.

"I always want to play," he said. "I feel fine really, although the final game over the Christmas period, at Arsenal, did catch up with me a bit. We had put so much into the previous match against Manchester United that we didn't have a lot left and we also had loads of injuries.

"It's been a demanding period for all the boys and it's now you want a fully fit squad from which to choose. Unfortunately, we haven't had that all season.

"There's some bodies coming back at last, though, and the squad is coming together again, which is great at this time of year."

Curbishley will resist the temptation to push midfielder Julien Faubert too hard.

The French international came on as a late substitute against Fulham on Saturday for his first appearance of the season following a serious Achilles tendon injury. He is in the squad for the replay but is likely to start on the bench.

"Julien is nowhere near full fitness yet," said Curbishley ."We have to be very careful with him, especially because he's an explosive type of player.

"If he comes back too soon, other problems could arise. We need to bring him back gradually to full fitness."