PREVIEW: Holders Newcastle United aim to bounce back from derby defeat in Carabao Cup tie with Fulham | OneFootball

St. James’ Park will hold host to Newcastle United’s Carabao Cup quarter-final clash against Fulham, with the hosts and holders looking to return to winning ways after losing the Tyne-Wear derby 1-0 at the weekend.

Eddie Howe’s side head into this Carabao Cup quarter-final off the back of a defeat in the 158th game between themselves and rivals Sunderland, and the Magpies will be determined to right the wrongs of Sunday and to progress to the semi-final in this competition.

A defeat to their biggest rivals is a major setback for the club, who have struggled to find the consistency this season that has helped them achieve so much in recent years. Despite this, the Magpies are still holders of the EFL Cup and will look to make it a remarkable repeat of their past success as they host Fulham, where they will be aiming for a spot in the semi-finals after beating Bradford City and Tottenham Hotspur in previous rounds.

As for the visitors, Marco Silva’s side have already lost at St. James Park back in October of this year, but look to have turned a corner in recent weeks. Victory away at Burnley came after good performances against Manchester City and Crystal Palace, albeit without yielding three points on either occasion. The Cottagers currently sit 14th in the table, just two places and two points below Newcastle.

Fulham have actually scored more goals than their hosts this season and head into the game having played one extra cup game compared to Newcastle too, having seen off Cambridge United, Wycombe Wanderers and Bristol City to reach this stage.

Newcastle are without Nick Pope, Dan Burn, Sven Botman, Kieran Trippier, and Will Osula for the midweek contest. Burn suffered a broken rib and a punctured lung during a clash with Sunderland’s Nordi Mukiele and the defender will be out for some time. Despite these injury concerns, Howe could well name a full strength side on Wednesday as the Magpies will desperately hope to fight back after such a disappointing derby loss.

Opponents Fulham will be without striker Rodrigo Muniz and full-back Ryan Sessegnon, who will be a big miss. Fulham will also be without key players Calvin Bassey, Samuel Chukwueze and Alex Iwobi due to all three of them having commitments to Nigeria during the Africa Cup of Nations.

The game will be broadcast on Sky Sports and ITV1 in the UK, and kicks off at 20:15 GMT.

Predicted line-ups

NEW: Ramsdale; Livramento, Schär, Thiaw, Hall; Miley, Guimarães, Joelinton; Murphy, Wissa, Barnes