Having faced off at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, Newcastle and Chelsea meet again just a mere three days later, but this time at St James' Park in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
The Blues came away with all three points against the Geordies at the weekend, as Nicolas Jackson's opener was cancelled out by Alexander Isak in the first half. However, an early second half strike from Cole Palmer proved to be the decisive goal, as the West Londoners held on for the win.
Newcastle will be hoping to avenge that defeat by progressing to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals. Both sides will hope to go deep in the competition, having both been finalists from the last two seasons, with the Magpies falling short to Manchester United in 2023, whilst Chelsea were narrowly defeated by Liverpool back in February.
To get to this stage of the Carabao Cup, Newcastle defeated Nottingham Forest on penalties before navigating past League Two AFC Wimbledon 1-0 in round three. Chelsea, meanwhile, also took down League Two opposition in the previous round with a thumping 5-0 win over Barrow AFC.
Both sides met in the quarter-finals of this competition last season. Callum Wilson opened the scoring at Stamford Bridge before a last minute equaliser from Mykhailo Mudryk sent the game to penalties.
It was the Blues who held their nerve in the shootout with a 4-2 win, as Djordje Petrovic saved the decisive penalty by denying Matt Ritchie. Who will come out on top on this occasion?
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Team News
Newcastle
The Magpies will once again be without striker Callum Wilson (back) and right-back Kieran Trippier (thigh) as well as back-up goalkeeper Martin Dubravka (knee). The trio are expected to return within the next month.
However, in more positive news, Eddie Howe could be boosted by the potential return of Anthony Gordon, having missed the Stamford Bridge meeting following a groin problem.
Meanwhile, centre-backs Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles both continue to recover from their respective ACL injuries suffered back in March, whilst youngster Lewis Miley could be in line for a first appearance of the season having recently returned from injury.
Chelsea
Once again, Enzo Maresca has a fully fit squad at his disposal following the return of Reece James after the October international break. Despite suffering a knock on Sunday, Wesley Fofana remains available for selection.
As expected, the Blues will heavily rotate, with players such as Christopher Nkunku and Joao Felix likely to feature at St James' Park. With the West Londoners facing Manchester United at the weekend, Jadon Sancho will be ineligible to face his parent club, meaning the winger may start on Wednesday night.
Having impressed off the bench against Panathinaikos last Thursday, youngster Tyrique George may also feature against Newcastle.
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Likely Line-Ups
Newcastle
Vlachodimos; Livramento, Schar, Krafth, Kelly; Longstaff, Guimaraes, Willock; Murphy, Isak, Barnes
Chelsea
Jorgensen; Disasi, Badiashile, Adarabioyo, Cucurella; Veiga, Dewsbury-Hall; Sancho, Felix, Mudryk; Nkunku
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Key Players
Newcastle: Alexander Isak
Having scored at Stamford Bridge at the weekend, Alexander Isak's goalscoring record against Chelsea takes him up to three goals in as many starts against the Blues.
The Swedish international certainly knows where the back of the net is, scoring 37 goals since moving to the North East in 2022. With fellow striker Callum Wilson still sidelined, Isak is expected to once again lead the line.
Chelsea will certainly fear facing up against Isak once more, but the Blues defence will be determined to ensure the Swede does not add to his record.
Chelsea: Mykhailo Mudryk
Winger Mykhailo Mudryk impressed in his last start for Chelsea, with one goal and two assists in the 4-1 victory over Panathinaikos. The Ukraine international will hoping to build on that performance in Greece.
Mudryk came off the bench at the weekend and showed some promise, almost getting himself on the scoresheet but was denied by Nick Pope. Last season, the winger netted two goals in two matches against the Geordies, including a superb solo effort in a 3-2 win back in March.
The former Shakhtar Donetsk man is still yet to find top form in a Chelsea shirt, but Enzo Maresca continues to keep faith in the winger. Can Mudryk get on the scoresheet at St James' Park?
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Match Details
Where is the game being played?
The game will be played at Newcastle's home, St James' Park, which has a capacity of 52,350.
What time is kick-off?
Kick-off will be at 19:45pm GMT.
How can I watch?
Viewers in the UK will be able to watch the match on Sky Sports Plus, alongside the other fourth round ties taking place on Wednesday night.
