Howe rubbishes Guardiola claims ahead of Man City clash - "I don't believe that for a second!"

Eddie Howe has rubbished Pep Guardiola’s claim that he will "not waste one per cent of energy" on Man City's Carabao Cup tie against Newcastle tonight.

The Spaniard will already be missing key members of his squad such as Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Rodri and John Stones as they travel to the North East, and has also hinted that Kyle Walker and Ruben Dias will be given a rest.

Pep insists that their Premier League meeting with Wolves this weekend and next week's Champions League clash with RB Leipzig are more important, but Howe isn't buying his pre-match comments.

Speaking to the local press in response to these claims, the Toon boss had this to say:

"I don't believe that for a second because Pep is a manager that has won so much. He has not won as much as he has without giving everything to every moment to try and achieve success.

"Regardless of what team they pick they've got world class players and for me the best manager in the world. I have no doubt that we will see the best Manchester City tomorrow."

It’s unclear whether Howe himself will rotate heavily, with injuries already piling up and our fixture list featuring SEVEN games in the next month. Either way, he's expecting a very tough test against a City side who won the treble last season.