Newcastle United Plans Key Player Rotation Ahead Carabao Cup Defense vs Bradford

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is preparing to rotate his starting lineup for their Carabao Cup third-round match against Bradford City at St James' Park. Howe emphasized the importance of balancing rest for players who have featured heavily recently, such as Nick Pope, Dan Burn, Tino Livramento, and Sandro Tonali, with maintaining a strong team to progress in the competition. The Carabao Cup holds special significance for Howe, and he appreciates the challenge posed by Bradford City, who are on a strong winning run in League One and have defeated two Championship teams to reach this stage. Howe also addressed comparisons between players, highlighting the uniqueness of each, and expressed the team's reliance on shared goal contributions. Anthony Gordon is available following suspension, and other players like Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, and Kieran Trippier could return after rest. Overall, Newcastle aims to respect their status as cup holders and continue their successful run while managing a busy fixture schedule.