Newcastle are potentially just 90 minutes away from their first League Cup semi-final since 1976 but they will have to get through a tricky Leicester side who have a good record in the competition. The Foxes have won the League Cup on three occasions and reached three out of four finals between 1997 and 2000 - they have also made at least the quarter-final stage in five of the last six seasons.
But Newcastle can take some confidence in the fact they recently beat Brendan Rodgers’ side 3-0 at the King Power Stadium on Boxing Day. The Magpies have also beaten Premier League opposition in Crystal Palace and Bournemuth to reach the last eight of the competition.
Leicester have several injury problems heading into the game with no fresh fitness boosts following the 1-0 FA Cup win over Gillingham on Saturday. Newcastle suffered a cup upset as League One side Sheffield Wednesday claimed a 2-1 win as Eddie Howe’s side suffered only their second defeat of the season in all competitions.
Howe will be hoping to welcome back key players such as Fabian Schar, Nick Pope and Callum Wilson, all of whom were rested over the weekend while Allan Saint-Maximin is expected to recover from an illness in order to be in contention.
The Newcastle head coach is expected to name as ‘full strength’ a side as possible in a bid to reach the final four of the competition.
Here’s the latest injury news ahead of the match with 11 players ruled out so far...
1. OUT: James Justin (LCFC)
Suffered a calf injury in the third round of the Carabao Cup before the World Cup break and could miss the remainder of the season. Photo: Laurence Griffiths
2. OUT: Jonny Evans (LCFC)
Will miss the game due to a calf problem but should be back in action early next month.
3. OUT: Ricardo Pereira (LCFC)
The full-back has been out for an extended period due to a calf issue.
4. OUT: James Maddison (LCFC)
Maddison hasn’t been seen for Leicester since before the World Cup due to a knee injury. Photo: Alex Pantling