Newcastle United opted against heading south early this week as Eddie Howe did not want his players to "overthink" their Wembley showpiece against Manchester United.
But, despite many seeing Man United's Europa League battle with Barcelona as a disadvantage for Newcastle's prestigious opponents this weekend, Howe feels facing the men from the Nou Camp will benefit Erik ten Hag's side. In the Toon's last visits to Wembley, they headed to their London base a few days early and trained in the south but all of their on-field preparation will take place on Tyneside.
The Magpies will treat the fixture the same way they approach Premier League away games by setting off on the eve of the match. And Howe has explained his logic and why he resisted taking his players away from the intensity of a city that has been talking about Wembley all week.
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Howe told Chronicle Live: "There is that distraction here (Wembley talk) but there's also potential, going too early, you can fatigue the players mentally. When they are sitting just waiting for the match, which can drain you of energy.
"So we have to be careful not to fatigue them that way. In my opinion, it's trying to create a very normal routine so they are used to how we are going to prepare. Hopefully, it will save them energy."
Newcastle must also tackle the Wembley pitch and its bigger dimensions compared to the rest of the Premier League, with only Man City's pitch at the Etihad Stadium larger than the iconic home of English football. It is said that a Wembley groundsman would walk 12 miles in total to cut the hallowed turf.
When asked if United had made any special preparations for playing on the 115 x 74 yards surface, Howe indicated he was focused on the mental side of the week more than the pitch itself.
Howe said: "I wouldn't say it (pitch size) comes into our preparations. I think it's probably more mental fatigue than physical fatigue.
"The pre-game build-up is long. We have a long week ahead of us, whereas Man United play Thursday. It's probably a healthy thing for them. Whereas we have to be careful we don't overthink things.
"We are trying to get the players to relax and enjoy themselves and be ready to give their best performance."
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