Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy believes Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe will have learnt plenty about his back-up options in the Magpies 2-1 shock FA Cup defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.
A heavily rotated Newcastle side travelled to Hillsborough seeking to book their place in the fourth round of the competition, only to fall to Darren Moore's Wednesday thanks to a Josh Windass brace.
While Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, who came on off the bench, managed to grab a goal back for Howe and co, the Magpies were ultimately left to rue missing a host of opportunities throughout the contest.
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Both Alexander Isak and Elliot Anderson were thwarted by Wednesday goalkeeper Cameron Dawson while Chris Wood blazed over his second half chance that would have levelled proceedings.
With the Carabao Cup quarterfinal against Leicester City on the horizon, Newcastle opted to rotate their starting XI, with Howe giving starts to Martin Dubravka, Jamaal Lascelles, Javier Manquillo, Jamal Lewis and Matt Ritchie.
Ultimately, it was a decision that backfired.
Newcastle would have liked to have kept the likes of Miguel Almiron, Kieran Trippier, Joe Willock and Guimaraes on the bench, only for them to have to bring all four of them on alongside Wood due to Wednesday taking a 2-0 goal lead.
And speaking on Match of the Day following the 2-1 loss, Murphy believes Howe will have learnt who he can and can't trust from his back-up players in the wake of the Wednesday defeat.
"He's got an indication of who he can rely on and who he can't in terms of the back-up players now I think after seeing today," said Murphy.
"But, if they beat Leicester in the League Cup quarterfinal in midweek, everyone is going to be happy again and they're going to be looking forward to the games coming up."
Fellow Match of the Day pundit Stephen Warnock also added: "You can understand Eddie Howe trying to change things.
"He's got a Carabao Cup game coming up in the week, he's fighting to get in the top four. What's his main objective? I think it's to get in the top four.
"Newcastle fans will probably argue and say 'we want a good cup run as well'. They'll feel that this was an opportunity for them with the way they're playing this season to win probably two cup competition.
"They had chances, they really did. Chris Wood should have scored. They had enough opportunities to win the game, Elliot Anderson had a good chance but for Cameron Dawson in the Sheffield Wednesday goal who had an outstanding game."
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