Eddie Howe's pre-match message to his NUFC squad as Toon eye place in cup quarter final

Ahead of tonight's Carabao Cup clash on Tyneside, Eddie Howe has challenged his players to re-establish the momentum built before the World Cup break.

Like many others, we haven't played a competitive fixture since beating Chelsea 1-0 at St James' Park almost six weeks ago - a win that was our fifth straight in the Premier League to send us up to third.

Now, Howe has urged his players to reach those levels "as quickly as we can", saying we have done good work over the break to be "ready physically" for tonight's game.

The boss is also wary of underestimating his former club, believing Bournemouth have shown what a competitive side they are in recent months, with them currently closer to the top 10 than the bottom three after four defeats in their last 12 since that 9-0 drubbing at Anfield.

Speaking ahead of the game, Howe said this in his pre-match press conference:

“It’s important to re-establish our momentum. Where we finished against Chelsea, there was a really good feeling around the stadium. We want to get back there as quickly as we can.

“Given the Premier League schedule, we think it’s good to have this game, but we have tried to be ready physically for this game as it is a chance for us to advance in a very important competition. That’s how we’ve approached the game.

“Certainly we don’t underestimate them [Bournemouth] going into this game. They've shown before the break that they are a very competitive team."