Drawing defending champions Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals isn\u2019t exactly what any football manager in the Premier League would wish for and this was certainly the last news Eddie Howe wanted to hear as the Newcastle United manager now prepares to face last year\u2019s treble winners for a fourth time this season.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think any team wants to play Man City four times in a season. But to win the FA Cup you will probably have to beat Manchester City at some stage in the competition. We are just going to have to do that sooner than we would have hoped.\u201d<\/p>\n
Newcastle, who last won the trophy in 1955, visit City on March 16 for the knockout fixture. \u201cI was driving at the time and I almost swerved off the road! It wasn\u2019t the draw we wanted, that\u2019s for sure,\u201d Howe told reporters on Friday.<\/p>\n
Newcastle beat City in the League Cup in September, but lost to last season\u2019s in-form defending champions twice in the Premier League.<\/p>\n
Howe is expecting the return of Elliot Anderson, Joe Willock, Alexander Isak and Sven Botman from injury to give his team a boost.<\/p>\n
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