Pep Guardiola sets focus for Newcastle amid Man City juggling act

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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke about the upcoming schedule with Newcastle up next followed by Real Madrid

Pep Guardiola made clear that Manchester City will be going to Newcastle to win ahead of their Champions League trip to Real Madrid. The Blues have two big games in four days in different knockout competitions and will have to manage their squad.

City's manager was critical last week about the decision to play the FA Cup game at 8pm on Saturday night because it gives them less recovery time before their Champions League match in Madrid. If some players are unable to give their best in both matches, one of the two will have to be prioritised.

That may still be the case, but Guardiola pointed to his astonishing record in the FA Cup as a testament to how his team will set up. City have made the final for the last three years and has made at least the semi-final in eight out of his nine years in English football.

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"How many finals have we played in the last years and semi-finals? A lot. That means the FA Cup is so important. We're going to travel to Newcastle to win the game to play in the next round," he said.

Victory at Newcastle will take City into the quarter-finals - one step from another Wembley trip - but it will not be easy against one of the toughest teams to face in a stadium where it is usually tough for the Blues; they lost there 2-1 in the league in November. This is their fifth game against Newcastle this term, and they have won the last three.

City also cannot afford to drop any more points in the Premier League after their home draw with Nottingham Forest saw them fall seven behind Arsenal. They have a game in hand but will play after Arsenal over the next few weeks, meaning they could be ten points behind the leaders when they kick off at West Ham.

Nico O'Reilly could return to the squad this weekend after missing the draw with Forest. The 20-year-old limped off with an ankle problem in the win over Leeds and felt discomfort in training, but has improved in recent days and will be assessed ahead of the trip.