It is out of the frying pan and into the fire for Newcastle United as far as cup competitions are concerned. Sheffield Wednesday were the beneficiaries of the Magpies’ customary FA Cup third-round exit as they claimed a 2-1 win at Hillsborough at the weekend.
While Toon supporters were down on Saturday evening, all will be forgotten should Newcastle beat Leicester City tomorrow night. Eddie Howe has a golden opportunity to book United a spot in a cup semi-final for the first time since 2005.
A heavy 4-1 FA Cup defeat to Manchester United in April 2005 still pains Newcastle fans and, to this day, remains the closest the club have come to ending their 68-year domestic trophy curse. While the world’s oldest knockout competition may be out of the question after the Sheff Wed defeat, the Carabao Cup provides a chance for redemption.
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Newcastle have never won English football’s second cup competition. Only once, in 1976, have they managed to reach the final, losing 2-1 to Manchester City at the old Wembley Stadium.
Changes were made by Howe against the Owls at the weekend, perhaps with this game in mind. Bruno Guimaraes, Kieran Trippier and Joe Willock were thrown on in desperation to try and get back into the game.
Alexander Isak got 45 much-needed minutes under his belt on Saturday and could feature again. Callum Wilson and Nick Pope stayed at home while Allan Saint-Maximin missed out due to illness.
There are several decisions for the Toon boss to contend with when Brendan Rodgers and Co arrive at St James’ Park. Ahead of the clash, put yourself in his shoes and choose your Newcastle line-up using our widget below.
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