Newcastle handed early advantage ahead of Carabao Cup final against Manchester United

Newcastle have been handed a potentially huge advantage ahead of the Carabao Cup final later this month as opponents Manchester United have SIX games to play between now and then, compared to our three.

Not only do they face six games in the next 25 days, four of those come in the 10 days leading up to the final - and two feature a tough Europa League double header with Barcelona.

Three days before we take them on at Wembley, Man United will face the La Liga giants at Old Trafford for a place in the quarter-finals - hopefully a tense and tiring affair!

This intense schedule could be a big advantage for us and lead to fatigue, cause injuries and make it difficult to properly prepare for the huge game in the capital.

In the flip side for Eddie Howe, he will have just over week to prepare after we face Liverpool at St James' Park on Saturday 18th February, allowing us to rest, prepare and be fully focused on the final while Erik Ten Hag has a European League second leg to think about.

Here's a comparison of the two club's fixtures over the coming weeks:

It is also worth mentioning that this will be Bruno’s first game back after his suspension, so he will not only be fresh, but also itching to get back onto the pitch and make his mark in this competition.