Newcastle United travel to Birmingham City for the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday.
By no means will this be an easy game for Newcastle United – they are going to a team that has lost just once at home all season and that was to a Premier League side in the Carabao Cup.
Newcastle’s game against Birmingham gives Toon boss Eddie Howe the chance to keep the momentum from the win against Arsenal from midweek up and get one step closer to a second trip to Wembley Stadium.
The Magpies will have their fair share of absentees for the game including Harvey Barnes who was taken off during Newcastle’s last FA Cup game against Bromley. Howe confirmed Barnes would be missing for two more weeks.
Joelinton will miss the Birmingham clash after sustaining a knee injury in the defeat to Fulham a week prior. The injury did not stop Joelinton from celebrating Newcastle’s win on Wednesday.
Elsewhere, Howe confirmed Sven Botman’s absence from the game after he was taken off against Arsenal with a knee injury.
With the cup tie just a few hours away, Newcastle have dropped a teaser for who could start on social media.
Newcastle tease William Osula appearance on social media
Newcastle forward William Osula has found game time hard to come by since signing from Sheffield United this season. So far this campaign, the 21-year-old has played just 243 minutes of football across all competitions.
Osula scored his first Newcastle goal in the Magpies’ win against Bromley in January and could make an even bigger impact on Saturday night.
In their matchday post, Newcastle included stills of Osula, Fabian Schar and Sandro Tonali – an indication that they could all be in line to either start or make an appearance during the game.
While Osula looks set to feature against Birmingham, Howe teased an appearance for Callum Wilson who has just come back from injury. It would be Wilson’s first Newcastle start since April 2024, but a welcome one for Howe.
If Howe wants to experiment, the Dane could also play alongside Wilson for the game. Osula can play on the wing, and Howe has eluded to playing him in that position at some point while Barnes and Joelinton recover from their injuries.
How Newcastle feel about William Osula’s progress
It is always tough for a player to develop when they are not getting many minutes on the pitch. Look at Lloyd Kelly, for example, he was unhappy with his minutes and decided to leave for Juventus.
Recent reports suggest that Newcastle are very pleased with Osula’s progress, despite Howe’s reluctance to throw him into the deep end. The 21-year-old has been progressing well in training and could be in line for more appearances soon.
His goal against Bromley was a thing of beauty – even Howe admitted Osula doesn’t score spectacular goals in training, he is more accustomed to a tap-in inside the six-yard box.
The FA Cup is a competition Osula loves to play in, scoring seven goals in as many games throughout his career in the tournament.
