Pep Guardiola has acknowledged that luck could play a decisive role as Manchester City prepare to face Newcastle United for the fifth time this season. The sides meet in the FA Cup fifth round at St James' Park on Saturday, having already contested two Premier League matches and a two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final.
Newcastle won the first league encounter on Tyneside, but City have triumphed in the other three meetings. Guardiola suggested there is little mystery left between the teams. "We know each other quite well, no surprises," he said. "It's not the first time this season. How many times we have played Newcastle and Eddie Howe? A lot. But it's the same for them. It is what it is. When the margins are so tight the luck is important."
City travel north having dropped two crucial points in the title race with a 2-2 draw at home to relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest in midweek. With a Champions League last-16 first leg against Real Madrid following soon after, and the Carabao Cup final later this month, Guardiola insisted the FA Cup remains a priority. "How many finals have we played in the last year and semi-finals? A lot," he said. "That always means the FA Cup is so important. We're going to travel to Newcastle to win the game to get in the next round."
The manager also noted the impact of the kick-off time on preparations. "Playing at 3pm, we'd have to travel today," he said. "Playing at night, we travel tomorrow. That's the advantage. The disadvantage is the recovery for Madrid will be less." With a congested schedule ahead, rotation is likely. "Now we play a lot of games with long travels away and fatigue is involved," Guardiola explained. "So we have to use all the squad, otherwise it will not be possible to play in the rhythm what we want to play."
Midfielder Nico O'Reilly, who missed the Forest match with an ankle problem, will undergo a fitness test ahead of the trip.
