FA Cup Preview: Newcastle United Vs. Hull City

FA Cup third-round replay:- Newcastle United V's Hull City, St James' Park, Newcastle, Wed 14 Jan., 19:45 GMT.

The Magpies boss Joe Kinnear could be without the services of two more key players for the important third round replay against the Tigers, this Wednesday night.

Shola Ameobi and Andy Carroll have joined the ranks of Newcastle's long injury list, which includes Geremi, Jose Enrique, Mark Viduka, Obafemi Martins, and Steve Taylor.

Kinnear will be pleased that Nicky Butt will be back after serving a ban and Butt will probably be joined by Kazenga Lua Lua, Tamas Kadar, Jonny Godsmark and Mark Doninger in the Magpies starting XI.

Phil Brown's Tigers, will still be without the services of Caleb Folan but Andy Dawson and Anthony Gardner may make a return against the Magpies, there could also the chance for some Hull City's fringe players to get some much needed match practice.

These include Nathan Doyle and Ryan France who just turned down the chance to join Championship Blackpool to try to win a starting place with the Premier League club.

Phil Brown said, "we've got a fair sized squad so we will be making changes. We'll be going there with the mentality that we can win the game and take that confidence into our league game with Arsenal."

Both clubs will feel this is the ideal opportunity to gain some much needed confidence and get back into winning ways. Neither team has won in a month with Hull's lack of victories stretching back to the sixth of December when they beat Middlesborough 2-1.

This will also see the first return to Newcastle for Hull City's Craig Fagan who was maliciously felled by Danny Guthrie in the dying minutes of the Tigers 2-1 victory in the Premiership fixture last September, which resulted in the Hull striker breaking his leg.