Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez will take things one game at a time as he prepares his squad to face Preston twice in a week - with securing a place in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup first on the agenda.
A quirk of the fixture schedule has seen the Sky Bet Championship leaders drawn at home to North End in their fourth-round tie on Tuesday night before then travelling to Deepdale for a league match on Saturday.
It is a similar situation which the Magpies faced in the last round during September, when they lost at home to Wolves in the Championship only to then win 2-0 away in the cup tie a few days later.
Benitez is expected to give fringe players another chance to impress, b ut whatever side he sends out in front of a bumper 40,000-plus crowd at St James' Park, it will be one to tackle the job at hand.
"It is a strange situation but we must focus on the first game," Benitez said at a press conference.
"What happened against Wolves (in the league) meant we had to perform better in the second game (in the cup).
"We have to do well in the first one this time."
Benitez added: " We are trying to work in a way where everybody is involved. If we change players you will see the difference in match fitness."
Preston have beaten both high-flyers Huddersfield and Norwich in their last two matches as Simon Grayson's well-organised team close up on the top six.
North End assistant manager Glynn Snodin knows the team will face a stern test of their own credentials in both games against Newcastle, who have won six out of their previous seven.
" We know what to expect (at Newcastle). Their fans love their football and they get right behind them. We have to make sure we try and quieten them down as early we can," he said on the club's official website.
Bristol City will be out to maintain momentum from a 1-0 win over Blackburn which lifted them into the Championship play-off places when Premier League outfit Hull visit Ashton Gate.
The Tigers beat the Robins 4-0 in their last encounter as Championship clubs in April 2016.
Head coach Lee Johnson hopes his players can make the most of their chance to impress . He said at a press conference: "We want to do our very best to show that we are a Premier League club in training.
"Our players now have another opportunity to enhance their own reputation and you do that by beating Premier League sides."
Leeds boss Gary Monk wants his team to enhance their growing confidence at Elland Road by knocking out Norwich, who won away at Premier League Everton in the last round and are chasing a swift return back to the top flight.
"We're five games unbeaten at home and we want to keep that going. Even though it's a cup game we need to have the same mentality," Monk said in the Yorkshire Evening Post.
"It's a chance to progress and we've already done well in the cup. Keeping momentum and keeping winning - it's all you want to do".
Norwich midfielder Louis Thompson could be one of those given another run-out by manager Alex Neil, whose side have dropped down to fourth in the Championship.
"The main thing is players giving the manager food for thought. That's all we can do and we have got a good opportunity now to further our progress," Thompson, 21, said on the club's official website.
Source: PA
