Southampton manager Nathan Jones overhauled his squad for their FA Cup clash against Blackpool. Unlike Newcastle United, the Saints do not have a weekend to recover before the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg on Tuesday.
Toon supporters may be twiddling their thumbs due to the Magpies’ third-round exit to Sheffield Wednesday earlier this month. No fixture this weekend provides a short-term nuisance for a potentially long-term gain next week.
An unscathed side will welcome Southampton to St James’ Park for arguably Newcastle’s biggest game in a generation. The embarrassment of exiting the FA Cup to lower-league opposition was quickly subdued when supporters realised they would gain an advantage in another domestic competition.
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Southampton’s fourth-round victory over Blackpool was sandwiched between the two semi-final ties with Newcastle. Jones, with one eye on Tuesday, rested eight players as the Saints welcomed Championship opposition.
One of those was forced, with Duje Caleta-Car’s red card in midweek ruling him out of the Seasiders clash. Star players like James Ward-Prowse and Moussa Djenepo were given the weekend off. First-team regulars Mislav Orsic, Sekou Mara and Lyanco kept their place in the team.
The move proved a masterstroke as the Saints advanced to the next round, despite their depleted line-up. A brace from Romain Perraud, who remained on the bench for the Newcastle game, bagged a brace in a 2-1 win to offer Jones plenty of food for thought before the reverse fixture.
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