Newcastle v Man City talking points: Semenyo impact, Magpies' back pain, Rodri return

Holders Newcastle United continue their League Cup defence this week when they take on Manchester City in a semi-final first leg on Tyneside. The two teams clash at St James' Park (midnight kick-off UAE) in the middle of what is a manic schedule for both teams still going strong in four competitions. We pick out the main talking points ahead of Tuesday's game. Manchester City have made the biggest swoop of the January transfer window so far, forking out £65 million for Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo. And the 26-year-old made an instant impact on Saturday when he scored one and set up another in City's 10-1 FA Cup third-round thrashing of Exeter at the Etihad Stadium. Semenyo plumped for City ahead of the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur and has made a good first impression at his new club. “It's not a surprise for us because everyone has seen how good of a player he is in the Premier League,” said teammate Rico Lewis. “Everybody wanted him, there's a reason for that and he's shown that today. It feels like a seamless transition into the team. He's a really good person as well, which is another positive.” While City powered past third-tier opposition in the FA Cup over the weekend, Newcastle were taken to extra-time and penalties by Premier League rivals Bournemouth before sealing their fourth-round spot. A manic match on Tyneside finished 3-3 after 120 minutes and ended with Magpies goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale saving three penalties against his former club to seal a 7-6 shoot-out win. That win came just three days after a chaotic 4-3 league win over Leeds United with Harvey Barnes grabbing a double in both matches. Such draining games are hardly ideal preparation for a semi-final clash against Pep Guardiola's side but Newcastle have now won four games on the spin across all competitions. “This is a huge challenge,” said Howe on Monday. “Some players have just played 120 minutes and then a few days later are being asked to go again, but I’d like to think, physically and mentally, come kick-off, we will be ready to go again.” The last two victories have come at a cost for Howe, though. Against Leeds, centre-back Fabian Schar was carried off with what turned out to be ligament damage, rather than the broken ankle Newcastle feared, and should at least return before the end of the season. On Saturday, full-back Tino Livramento limped off with a suspected hamstring problem that looks set to rule him out for the next few weeks at least. Centre-half/left-back Dan Burn is still recovering from a broken rib and punctured lung. Newcastle's defensive options are limited – with backup defenders Emil Kraft and Jamaal Lascelles also unavailable – in a schedule that sees them play seven games in four competitions over 21 days. “The problem for us is PSR,” Howe said, referring to Profitability and Sustainability Rules, when asked about the possibility of January arrivals. "There is a lot to discuss and a lot to consider for our short-term needs against long-term decisions for the football club." Making a much-needed return to the City teamsheet of late has been Ballon d'Or-winning midfielder Rodri, who scored his first goal since May 2024 in the demolition of Exeter with a thumping finish from outside the penalty area. The talismanic Spaniard made only four appearances last season after suffering anterior cruciate ligament damage before returning for the summer's Fifa Club World Cup. But injuries have hampered Rodri again this campaign, restricting him to 12 appearances in City's 31 games so far. “We miss him a lot,” said coach Guardiola at the turn of the year. “The only thing I want is Rodri to be happy. That's all I want. The knee I know is fine, the muscles are fine. “I want the Rodri that we met, his joy in playing, his presence and body language and this kind of stuff. I want it for him, for the team, of course, selfishly.” The League Cup is a competition that has brought the best out of Howe's side since he took over as manager in November 2021 . In that time Newcastle have lost just twice in 18 matches, reaching the final on two occasions – losing to Manchester United in 2023 and then beating Liverpool last season . That win over the Merseysiders brought to an end the club's infamous 70-year wait for a domestic trophy and earned Howe and his players their place in Geordie folklore. Their home record this season is also very impressive – winning 11 of their past 13 games in all competitions – so Newcastle will be aiming to secure an advantage going into the second leg on February 4. "They are a difficult team to read and know how to plan and prepare to play against," Howe said of City. "But we will have our plans in place and our priority is always ourselves, what we can do and how we can hurt them."

Newcastle v Man City talking points: Semenyo impact, Magpies' back pain, Rodri return

We pick out the big issues ahead of Tuesday's League Cup semi-final first leg at St James' Park

Semenyo off to flyer

Epic week for Magpies

Howe's back problems

Rodri's welcome return

Newcastle's home hope

Newcastle win League Cup - in pictures