Eddie Howe says his players will make the long trip to the South Coast this weekend feeling mentally refreshed after a week of no fixtures.
The Magpies take on AFC Bournemouth on the back of a 1-1 draw with West Ham, but that clash came on the back of two high octane semi-final encounters against Southampton which led to a historic first trip to a major final this century. After a week of training and some rest and recuperation at the weekend, Howe is confident his players will be in a sharper frame of mind at his old club.
Indeed, after the thrills and spills of the cup win over the Saints, Newcastle players have now had the chance to reset in a more quiet environment with family and friends. And now they are looking to get back to winning ways in the Premier League
READ MORE: Newcastle United 1-1 West Ham: Callum Wilson ends drought but Hammers dig in for a point
Howe said: "It’s a difficult thing to judge. I didn’t necessarily see fatigue in our performance today – I thought the lads kept going to the end.
"Naturally, there’s some tired bodies, we’ve just had two games in a short period of time. The mental fatigue is a difficult one to judge.
"It’s probably more a feeling than something you can measure. It was an emotional night on Tuesday, I don’t know. I think the chances were there for us to have won the game, but we didn’t do it. We’re frustrated at that."
Howe also feels that Allan Saint-Maximin will benefit from getting a 69 minute run out against the Hammers. It was Saint-Maximin's first start since August.
Howe said: "I think every player needs confidence. Maxi will benefit from that. I thought we saw him in flashes. We probably didn’t get him the ball enough, West Ham defended well against him. I think there’s a combination of factors, but I thought the application and effort were there. He’ll benefit from it."
Our 48-page Carabao Cup final special is available to pre-order now! Click HERE to get your copy as Newcastle United prepare for a historic day out at Wembley. Also available to purchase through local participating retailers from February 15.
