Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe is confident they can handle two big games in a week.
Howe is hopeful his players can cope with the “unique challenge" of back-to-back matches against the Premier League's top two Liverpool and Manchester City.
Howe's side had just 26 per cent possession in Thursday's 3-1 defeat at Anfield and they can probably expect even less against the defending champions even though they face them at St James' Park.
“I think the challenge we face with these two games, the reality is we are going to be without the ball for a long time and the physical effort of the players is really tested," he said.
“We lost Jamal early in the match against Liverpool and a lot of the other players we had on the pitch were suffering with fatigue.
“It is a unique challenge for us with these two games back-to-back but the fact we are at home with the crowd behind us will hopefully inspire.
“We are going to obviously need to rotate the team and make sure the team that takes the pitch is as fresh as it can be."
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