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      Man Utd forced to play FA Cup fourth round tie in modified stadium due to last minute change

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      MANCHESTER UNITED will play their FA Cup fourth round tie in a modified stadium.The Red Devils will travel to face Newport County after the League Two club were victorious over Eastleigh in their third round replay.
      Newport County are adding 1,000 seats to Rodney Parade with a temporary standCredit: Alamy
      Newport boss Graham Coughlan is excited at the prospect of facing the Red Devils in front of a bigger crowdCredit: PA
      Newport have announced they will be building a temporary stand at Rodney Parade to add 1,000 extra seats for the game.
      The new stand will be erected in time to hold fans for both the Man Utd fixture and Newport’s face-off against Wrexham this weekend.
      The club announced the plans in a statement on their website that read: “Another 1,000 passionate members of the Amber Army will get the chance to back the Exiles against Wrexham and Manchester United with the erection of a temporary stand behind the North Terrace.
      “Construction of the uncovered stand will get underway on Wednesday afternoon in time for the League Two clash with Wrexham on Saturday after the Welsh derby sold out last week.”
      READ MORE MAN UTD NEWS
      The Welsh outfit also revealed that the additional ticket sales will only just cover the cost of building the temporary stand.
      But explained they wanted as many fans in the stadium as possible to support the team.
      The additional home seats also forces Newport to increase the away end allocation in the stadium to meet FA Cup ticket allocation guidelines.
      The 17th placed League Two outfit announced they will be adding a further 400 seats to the away end alongside the addition of the 1,000 seats offered in the temporary home stand.
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      Newport are expecting to make around £400,000 from their bout with Premier League heavyweights Man Utd.
      The fixture will be shown on BBC One and Exiles boss Graham Coughlan is excited about facing one of the biggest teams in world football.
      Speaking to BBC Sport Wales, he said: “It will be a hell of an occasion, It’s a fourth round tie against Manchester United, for me the biggest club in this country, in Europe and in the world.”
      Coughlan added that it will be extra special for him with his family all staunch Man Utd fans.
      He explained: “We’re a big Manchester United family, we’ve been to FA Cup finals with them, I can’t get my head around it to be honest, they are unbelievable names.
      “Just to have Manchester United coming to Rodney Parade is a hell of an achievement.
      “I don’t know when it will sink in, I’m sure my family are doing Irish jigs around the house at the moment.”
      It will be a big game for Manchester United too as they look to keep their hopes alive for their last remaining chance at a trophy this season.
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      Erik ten Hag’s side are languishing in seventh place in the league and have crashed out of both the Carabao Cup and the Champions League.
      Their FA Cup clash with Newport on January 28 represents the last chance for the Dutch boss to get some silverware in what has been a torrid season so far.
      Erik ten Hag’s Man Utd side will have full focus on the FA Cup clashCredit: Getty More

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      Everton vs Crystal Palace: Get £40 in free bets and bonuses for tonight’s FA Cup replay with Betfred

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      EVERTON and Crystal Palace lock horns again TONIGHT with the winner to host Luton in the fourth round of the FA Cup.Betfred are offering new customers a spectacular £40 in free bets and bonuses when they sign-up and stake £10 on tonight’s cup replay.
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      You could decide to use some of your free bets on tonight’s Everton vs Crystal Palace tie, with some of our tips below….
      Under 1.5 goals at 2/1 with Betfred
      The first leg finished goalless and tonight could be something different. Everton also finished 0-0 with Aston Villa at weekend and there’s a distinct lack of goals in their team – failing to score in last three games.
      Everton most booking points at 11/8
      The Toffees fans might again come together at latest financial charges against the club and it could be a heightened atmosphere. That could tempt the home side to force things tonight and they’ve more aggressive players than the away side.
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      I worked as a farmer until I was 25, now I’m looking to knock Man Utd out of the FA Cup

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      WILL EVANS is the cowboy who aims to shoot down Manchester United.Newport County forward Evans was raised on a 3,000-acre farm high in the Mid-Wales hills, where dad Martin tends to 2,500 head of dairy cattle.
      Newport’s Will Evans was working on his dad’s farm while making his way in footballCredit: Huw Evans
      He is set to face Manchester United in the FA Cup fourth round later this monthCredit: Huw Evans
      The Exiles will be bullish ahead of meeting the Old Trafford giants – nobody more so than Evans, who netted the third goal in their 3-1 third-round replay win over Eastleigh.
      That was his 18th goal of the season and he has more than Red Devils trio Rasmus Hojlund, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial COMBINED this term.
      So nobody would blame him for milking it if he scores against Man Utd, especially given his less conventional route into football.
      The late starter sees things differently from the average pro after spending five years in higher education before joining Newport in May 2022.
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      The Cardiff Met University, graduate has a degree in sports coaching and is a qualified teacher.
      After leaving university, Evans, 26, played for Bala Town in the Cymru Premier League and scored twice for Wales C against England, prompting Newport to make their move.
      He said: “While I was playing for Bala, I was working on the farm.
       “It was part-time football so the game had to come second. I’d be up at 4.30am milking cows or out working on a building site on the farm land or working alongside my brothers and my dad. That felt normal.
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      “My background surprises a lot of people in football. When I first told them I was a farmer it got a couple of laughs because people didn’t believe me.”
      And his background has already stumped one Man Utd forward.
      He explained: “We had Charlie McNeill on loan from Manchester United last season and he couldn’t believe what a farmer was, never mind playing alongside one!
      “Hopefully, I’ve got a long time to go as a player. But after that I’d definitely be interested in staying in football in some way.
      “Having been a student at university, now I’m a student of the game.”
      Impress against United, and the farmer’s lad could land a big mooooove.
      Evans has already scored 18 goals so far this seasonCredit: Alamy
      Evans used to wake up at 4.30am to milk the cowsCredit: Huw Evans More

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      FA Cup third round replays LIVE: Newport BEAT Eastleigh to set up Man Utd tie, West Ham OUT – latest updates

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      LEAGUE Two side Newport will play Manchester United in the fourth round of the FA Cup after beating Eastleigh 3-1. West Ham are OUT of the competition after losing 1-0 to Bristol City at Ashton Gate.
      Elsewhere, Birmingham knockout out Hull, Luton overcame Bolton and Wolves beat fellow Premier League side Brentford 3-2 at extra-time.
      Follow all the action with our live blog below…

      BEST FREE BET OFFERS AND BONUSES FOR THE FA CUPFollow ALL the action from around the grounds with our live blog below…
      When will the 4th round ties be played?
      Here’s the full list of ties and the dates and times of kick off for the next round.
      Thursday, 25 January

      Bournemouth v Swansea 19:45

      Friday, 26 January

      Chelsea vs Aston Villa 19:45
      Sheff Weds vs Coventry 19:45
      Bristol City vs Nott’m Forest/Blackpool 19:45
      Tottenham vs Man City 20:00

      Saturday, 27 January

      Ipswich Town vs Maidstone United 12:30
      Crystal Palace/Everton vs Luton 15:00
      Leeds vs Plymouth Argyle 15:00
      Leicester vs Birmingham 15:00
      Sheff Utd vs Brighton 15:00
      Fulham vs Newcastle 19:00

      Sunday, 28 January

      West Brom vs Wolves 11:45
      Watford vs Southampton 14:00
      Liverpool vs Norwich/Bristol Rovers 14:30
      Newport vs Man Utd 16:30

      Monday, 29 January

      Blackburn vs Wrexham 19:30

      Copy linkCopiedThree more to sort
      There’s three games that still need sorted out and those come tomorrow.
      Bristol Rovers and Norwich are battling for a fourth round tie at Anfield which is some reward.
      An all-Premier League tie between Everton and Crystal Palace too.
      While Blackpool and Nottingham Forest will both be eager to face Bristol City in the next round.

      Blackpool v Nottingham Forest
      Bristol Rovers v Norwich City
      Everton v Crystal Palace

      Copy linkCopiedMoyes regret
      David Moyes says things didn’t go for his side in their cup dumping tonight.
      The West Ham boss was quick to point out the exciting second half of the season his side have to look forward to though.
      He told BBC: “Disappointed. Lots of things didn’t go for us tonight but overall disappointed.
      “We had one or two opportunities, especially in the first half. Some good things but not enough to win the game.
      “It is a blow because we would have liked to have been in the cup but we have Europe to look forward to in March and we are in a good position in the league, but we are disappointed to go out.”
      Copy linkCopied’Emotional time’
      Rob Edwards said his side weren’t at their best as the saw off League One Bolton to reach the fourth round.
      The Hatters are now set to head for some warm weather training and recovery after a tough opening half of the season in the top flight.
      Edwards said, via the BBC: “I’m pleased we are through, tonight was about winning. We were not at our best, sloppy in too many moments and allowed them to build into the game.
      “We know we have to be full tilt. This game we just dropped a bit, and you can’t do that. Bolton are a big club, but when we are favourites, we took our foot off the gas and Bolton could have punished us.
      “We’re going away for some warm weather, getting training in and time together, down time together. Has been a tough season so far, everything with Locks as well, it has been an emotional time.”

      Copy linkCopiedShock of the night
      Only one real shock on the night and it came at Ashton Gate.
      This was the match stats from the game, with the Hammers having plenty of possession but zero cutting edge in the final third.

      Copy linkCopiedEarly start
      That West Brom vs Wolves tie will kick off at 11:45am on Sunday, January 28.
      An early start for all involved but that won’t dampen the atmosphere, I wouldn’t have thought.
      Copy linkCopiedTonight’s results – confirmed
      Five FA Cup 3rd round replays concluded tonight.
      Here’s the final results now every tie has concluded.

      Birmingham 2 Hull 1
      Bristol City 1 West Ham 0
      Bolton 1 Luton 2
      Eastleigh 1 Newport 3
      Wolves 3 Brentford 2 (AET)

      Copy linkCopiedFULL TIME!
      Hugo Bueno with a huge chance with the final kick of the game but he puts it wide.
      Not that Wolves fans care, they’re through to the next round after extra time, beating Brentford thanks to an ET penalty.
      They came from behind twice in normal time to get the extra 30 minutes.
      They’ve set up a tremendous tie against Black Country rivals West Brom at the Hawthorns in the next round. Can’t wait for that!
      Copy linkCopiedClinging on
      Brentford chucking everything at Wolves for this equaliser.
      Two dangerous crosses in quick succession not dealt with.
      Collins – tonight’s pantomime villain – drags a shot wide from the edge of the area, much to the delight of the home fans.
      THREE MINUTES ADDED

      Copy linkCopied’Massively proud’
      Bristol City boss Liam Manning admits being proud of his players for keeping their emotions in check through a tough 90 minutes.
      He told BBC: “Massively. I think it was another solid performance. We showed real resilience, a good connection and level of organisation. At times it was challenging and we had to keep our emotions in check and we did a terrific job at that.
      “We don’t carry anybody – everybody attacks and everybody defends. You need everyone to turn up and do the basics as well and when called upon give that little bit extra.
      “I actually think we can improve and get a little bit better.”
      Copy linkCopiedNO GOAL
      VAR confirm the offside call.
      Still 3-2 Wolves.
      Copy linkCopiedVAR CHECK!
      Brentford have the ball in the net but the flag goes up.
      Neal Maupay was also screaming for a penalty in the build-up.
      There’ll be a check for this offside as Wolves are looking to cling on having been well on top in an attacking sense.
      Copy linkCopiedConfirmed FA Cup fourth round ties
      From tonight’s games, here’s the ties that are now confirmed:
      Wolves close to securing a Black Country derby at West Brom….
      1 Watford v Southampton 2 Blackburn Rovers v Wrexham3 AFC Bournemouth v Swansea City4 West Bromwich Albion v Brentford or Wolverhampton Wanderers (current)5 Bristol City v Nottingham Forest or Blackpool6 Leicester City v Birmingham City 7 Sheffield Wednesday v Coventry City8 Chelsea v Aston Villa9 Ipswich Town v Maidstone United10 Liverpool v Norwich City or Bristol Rovers11 Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City12 Leeds United v Plymouth Argyle13 Crystal Palace or Everton v Luton Town14 Newport County v Manchester United15 Sheffield United v Brighton & Hove Albion16 Fulham v Newcastle United
      Copy linkCopiedNewport buzz
      The Welsh side with a big day to look forward to when Manchester United – and the TV cameras – on January 28.

      Copy linkCopiedGOAL! Wolves 3 Brentford 2
      The last kick of the first half of extra time and Wolves go in front!
      Matheus Cunha converts after Max Kilman was clipped in the Bees’ penalty area.
      Andy Madley pointed straight to the spot – with the check for a red card holding play up.
      No red card but it was a penalty which Cunha slotted away comfortably!
      Copy linkCopiedPENALTY WOLVES!
      Wolves have just dominated the extra time period and now have a chance to take the lead for the first time tonight.
      Matheus Cunha to step up after a sustained period of time checking.
      Copy linkCopiedLucky boy
      The early challenge from Joe Williams on Danny Ings.
      This was deemed not a foul, with Leon Osman saying the referee got this one right by waving play on.
      Williams then played his part in getting Benrahma sent off later in the game, getting a yellow at that stage…

      Copy linkCopiedFULL TIME!
      Unlike West Ham, Luton were able to avoid a shock result by coming from behind to beat Bolton.
      Dion Charles had given the hosts the lead on 11 minutes but that was cancelled out quickly after by Chong’s goal three minutes later.
      Ogbene put the Premier League side in front just before the hour mark and they managed to hold on to secure their spot in the next round.
      Crystal Palace or Everton away is next up for Luton.
      Copy linkCopiedGOAL! Birmingham 2 Hull 1
      Birmingham have won it at the death!
      Koji Miyoshi with a 94th minute goal – set up by Stansfield who scored the opener – to send the fans that have turned up home happy.
      A great turnaround for them, ending a seven game winless run.
      They travel to Leicester in the next round.

      Copy linkCopiedWEST HAM ARE OUT!
      David Moyes’ men crash out the FA Cup at the first hurdle after a 1-0 defeat at Bristol City.
      Said Benrahma’s daft red card proving costly as the Hammers stuttered to defeat.
      There was plenty of determination, hard work and fight on show and the hosts wanted it more.
      Quality? Completely absent.
      West Ham the only team not to score tonight, starting with a front three of Ings, Cornet and Benrahma….
      Bristol City will host Nottingham Forest or Blackpool in round 4!
      Copy linkCopiedFULL TIME!
      Manchester United will travel to NEWPORT COUNTY in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
      They came through against National League side Eastleigh 3-1 tonight to set up the monster clash in the next round!
      We’ll get their reaction to the huge tie shortly!
      Copy linkCopiedAdded time
      Bristol City and West Ham go into four minutes of added on time.
      Are West Ham going to suffer the shock of the night here?
      The home fans certainly think so!
      Copy linkCopiedClosing stages
      There’s four ties nicely poised at this stage.
      West Ham have a dangerous free kick after another Williams foul as they throw caution to the wind with attacking changes to get back level.
      Bolton thought they’d equalised against Luton but the offside flag stopped celebrations short.
      Birmingham and Hull are locked together and the game at the Molineux just about to start again for extra-time.
      Copy linkCopiedFULL-TIME! Wolves 2 Brentford 2
      180 minutes of football and the Premier League pair remain locked together.
      They’ll head for extra-time as this tie needs to finish tonight – one way or another.

      Copy linkCopiedGOAL! Eastleigh 1 Newport 3
      And that looks like that could well be that.
      Will Evans gives Newport a two-goal cushion at Eastleigh heading into the final ten minutes.
      A date with Manchester United is drawing ever closer for the Newport boys and girls.
      Copy linkCopied More

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      Premier League pitch completely covered in snow as freezing temperatures wreak havoc on stadium

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      GOODISON PARK’S pitch has been left completely covered in snow ahead of Everton’s clash with Crystal Palace.The Toffees are set to host Palace on Wednesday night in their FA Cup third round replay.
      Goodison Park has been left completely covered in snowCredit: Getty
      An Everton-supporting snowman has even been built next to the pitchCredit: Getty
      However, freezing temperatures in the north of England have wreaked havoc on the stadium.
      Snowfall has left the pitch covered, with no sign of grass or the pitch markings.
      Meanwhile, a snowman wearing an Everton scarf and woolly hat has been built in front of one of the stands.
      Temperatures could even drop as low as -1°C during Wednesday’s match against Palace.
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      A yellow weather warning for snow and ice is also in place for much of the north.
      The winner of the replay will host either Luton or Bolton in the fourth round on January 27.
      Snow and freezing temperatures have already disrupted matches across England this week.
      Former Premier League club Oldham are amongst those affected after their stadium was left buried by snow.
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      Boundary Park has been left with a frozen pitch, causing Tuesday’s National League clash with Boreham Wood to be postponed.
      The match is one of five National League fixtures to be called off, with just Chesterfield vs Altrincham still set to go ahead.
      Freezing temperatures have wreaked havoc on the stadiumCredit: Getty
      The Toffees are scheduled to host Crystal Palace in the FA Cup on Wednesday nightCredit: Getty More

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      My non-league heroes are one match away from dream FA Cup clash with Man Utd… my secret is a nap right before kick-off

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      EASTLEIGH’S sleepy little secret has been revealed as they eye a money-spinning FA Cup clash with Manchester United.The Spitfires host Erik ten Hag’s giants if they shoot down League Two Newport in a third-round replay.
      Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag could face a manager that sleeps before kick-offCredit: Getty
      Eastleigh will face Man Utd in the FA Cup if they eliminate NewportCredit: Rex
      And the National League side’s boss Richard Hill revealed how he keeps so calm… by taking a ten-minute nap just before kick-off.
      Hill told SunSport: “I don’t get any nerves before a game and don’t have any jittery feelings.
      “I just do what I normally do when the lads go out for a warm-up — I have a lie-down on the fitness table and see if I can get my head down for ten minutes.
      “That’s what I did at Newport. I put a chair next to the kit skip, put a coat over me and I had ten minutes.”
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      Maybe Hill should send pre-match tips to United chief Ten Hag, who cannot afford any embarrassing slip-ups in the Cup.
      Hill, who knows victory is worth close to £400,000, added: “This is a massive, massive game for both clubs.”
      Eastleigh have already beaten League One side Reading before drawing at Newport.
      United still have the chance of winning silverware in the FA Cup this season despite a turbulent campaign.
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      The Red Devils are already out of the Champions League as they were eliminated in the group stage.
      The Manchester giants have also plunged to seventh place in the Premier League table.
      And Ten Hag’s men are eight points away from fourth-placed Arsenal. More

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      The FA Cup doesn’t need changing and scrapping replays would be ridiculous, says Premier League vice-chairman

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      THE FA Cup is a sports institution that should be left alone to warm our winters — as it has for well over 150 years.This may appear an obvious statement, except that there are continuing whispers it should be trimmed further to make room for competitions without particular history or prestige.
      The FA Cup is an institution and should be left alone, says Karren BradyCredit: Getty
      It took a foreigner, Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag, to sum up the affection that most of us have for it.
      After beating third-tier Wigan, he said: “It is a massive competition and everyone wants to win the FA Cup. We take it seriously.”So we should. United have won the  Cup 12 times — bettered only by Arsenal’s 14.
      But the essence is that any club from tiers one  to eight has a chance to play in a Wembley final.
      Without replays, it would be stunted and, for the underprivileged, a loss of revenue.

      Maidstone United were the non-league tiddlers to survive the third round.
      Let George Elokobi, Maidstone’s boss, explain the true meaning of the Cup: “It is magic. This is what it does.
      “It just brings our  community and binds  us together. It makes us even stronger — inspiring the younger generation.”
      Perhaps it takes an aspiring boss from Cameroon, albeit with plenty of Premier League experience, to capture the dimension of our annual knockout wonder.
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      Yet the ex-Wolves star’s view is not necessarily shared by owners whose sentiments are often, “Who cares about a silly old competition”.
      Well, I do and so do millions of English and Welsh men and women.I also care that it helps spread down money to lower leagues as all gate revenue is shared.
      There is too much talk of following the Scottish FA this season in cutting out replays and deciding ties with penalties.
      This is both unfair on the away team and ridiculous, almost akin to Parliament scotching by-elections and reintroducing rotten boroughs.
      Penalties provide a quick fix of excitement — but they hardly add up to justice for all.
      As for deciding the World Cup on penalties, that gets more absurd the longer that the contest goes on.
      There has to be a better method, although time is limited to a month and rules out full replays.
      It’s true that replays do not aid long-term programming. We have one at Bristol City next week and, of course, we want to go through.
      West Ham vs Bristol City will be decided by a replayCredit: Getty
      We’d love to win the FA Cup, we know that would brighten the lives of Hammers fans.
      It is something to brag about for the rest of your life, just as winning the European trophy did last season.
      The Robins will make an extra sum, an important factor the further down the eight qualifying divisions you go.
      Until the 90s there were as many replays as necessary. Heaven help us from a repeat of the record.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      One is fun but let’s have no more interference in our world’s oldest football competition.
      Watch this week’s brilliant episode of the Tap In – SunSport’s exclusive new football show. More

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      Eddie Howe rants ‘we’re all at mercy of TV companies’ with Newcastle fans set to be STRANDED after Fulham FA Cup clash

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      EDDIE HOWE has slammed ITV for not caring about supporters after moving Newcastle’s FA Cup fourth round clash at Fulham to a Saturday night.The Magpies will take on the Cottagers in west London at 7pm in a fortnight, but the last train back to Tyneside departs at 9pm.
      Eddie Howe has slammed the decision to move Newcastle’s FA Cup trip to FulhamCredit: Getty
      The Toon Army expressed their anger on social media yesterday when the change was made.
      And Howe is fully on their side, blasting: “We’re all at the mercy of the TV companies and when they want to schedule games.
      “Not enough consideration is given to supporters and what they have to do to get to and from games.
      “To get back from London at that time is incredibly difficult and my sympathies are with our supporters on that.
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      “When I look at the support we have had away from home, with some very difficult places to find and to navigate to and from, it has just been incredible.
      “I’d love things to be easier for them in a game like this but we are at the mercy of the scheduling.”
      Ninth-placed Newcastle host Manchester City in the Prem on Saturday as they look to close the gap to fourth from 11 points.
      But they have been rocked by an injury to midfield enforcer Joelinton, who is set to miss six weeks with a quad injury suffered during last week’s 3-0 FA Cup win over rivals Sunderland.
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      The Mags are without 11 players for the City clash, and Howe added: “Joe’s injury is a real blow for us, he’s such an important player.
      “We don’t have anyone like him, he’s our midfield driving force physically so it’s a big blow.
      “He’s very  disappointed and we’ve had to do a job of trying to pick him up.” More