Man Utd Newcastle Review

TEAM NEWS

Manchester United are expected to hand fit-again midfielder Darren Fletcher his first start for 10 months.

The Red Devils will rotate their squad, so Angelo Henrique could make his debut, while Nick Powell, Alex Buttner and David de Gea may also play.

Newcastle duo Fabricio Coloccini and Cheick Tiote could make their comebacks from injury at Old Trafford.

The game will come too soon for Tim Krul and Danny Simpson, but they are expected back in training this week.

MATCH PREVIEW

It is 40 years since Newcastle's last win away at Manchester United, but the Magpies will be hopeful of ending that run given their performances against the Red Devils last season.

“All the teams in this competition will be the same. There are just too many games for players to play in every single one”

Alan PardewNewcastle manager

Newcastle were one of two clubs who took points off Sir Alex Ferguson's side twice last season (along with Manchester City), andthey recorded a memorable 3-0 victorywhen the sides met on Tyneside in January.

With Newcastle already facing a packed fixture list because of their Europa League involvement, boss Alan Pardew is likely to call on plenty of fringe players for Wednesday's trip to the north-west, which will be the fourth of seven matches in the space of 21 days.

The games are also coming thick and fast for Manchester United, but Ferguson has plenty of talent waiting in the wings for first-team opportunities, including summer signings Angelo Henrique, Alex Buttner and Nick Powell, with the latter pair impressive on debut against Wigan on 15 September.

United's recent record in this competition is formidable - they are chasing a third League Cup crown in five years. However, the Red Devils have occasionally slipped up in the early rounds when fielding unfamiliar line-ups, resulting in shock defeats to Southend in 2006, Coventry in 2007 and Crystal Palace last season. Newcastle, who won away to Chelsea in this competition in 2010, could provide awkward opposition for a new-look United side.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Newcastle have not beaten Manchester United at Old Trafford since a 2-0 league win in February 1972.
• The Magpies' 3-0 win against the Red Devils in January was their first victory against Sir Alex Ferguson's side since 2001.

Manchester United

• United were League Cup quarter-finalists in each of the last two years, and winners in the two seasons prior to that.
• They are aiming to add to their tally of 100 match wins in this competition - only five clubs have won more.
• They have won 31 of their last 37 League Cup games at Old Trafford, losing just four.

Newcastle

• The Magpies have never won the League Cup but were runners-up to Manchester City in 1976.
• Since then they have not gone further than the last eight, reaching the quarter-finals on four separate occasions.
• They have been eliminated from the League Cup by a Premier League club in seven of the last eight seasons.