Cardiff face the long trip to the North East for Saturday;s FA Cup 3rd round tie against Newcastle United.
It's a chance for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to see his new squad close up and maybe play a couple of players he had not had chance to see in action yet.
I don't think we will see the wholesale rotation that Malky Mackay made at Macclesfield last season but Ole is likely to make a number of changes.
While Premier League survival is the main aim it would be good to reward the 400 or so fans expected to make the journey with something to celebrate.
Early team news
New Cardiff manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is likely to rotate the Bluebirds squad for his first game in charge at Newcastle in the FA Cup.
Having observed the games against Sunderland and Arsenal, the Norwegian is expected to hand the likes of Joe Lewis and Mark Hudson a start. Declan John is one player likely to keep his place.
Craig Noone and Gary Medel could be rested while Craig Bellamy is still struggling with a knee injury.
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew will be forced to make changes for Saturday's FA Cup third-round clash with Cardiff.
Right-back Mathieu Debuchy starts a three-match ban after being sent off during the 1-0 Barclays Premier League defeat at West Brom on New Year's Day, while central defender Fabricio Coloccini could be sidelined for up to six weeks with the knee injury he suffered during the same game.
In addition, keeper Tim Krul is struggling with a shoulder problem and midfielder Yohan Cabaye is a major doubt with an Achilles injury.
The managers:
Alan Pardew
“It’s pretty obvious that this club is in desperate need of a trophy – it’s a big big club that hasn’t had a trophy for a long long time, and last year we got to the quarter finals of the Europa League, and I genuinely think we if we could have got through that, we would have had a great chance of winning it.”
“My feelings are that we will always be trying to win a trophy at this club, and it’s very important for the fans and it’s very important for the club.” ”Our fans accuse us of not trying to win and the media gets on the back of that and they have this week.”
“And it’s difficult for us, and it’s a no-win situation at times in terms of the selection of the team.” ”Unless you win the game and then you’ve got it spot on, so you have to win and I’m very nervous of it, because I will make some changes – but I want to win.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
"Every game is important. We know how close Cardiff were to lifting the cup a few years ago, so we go in there hoping to go through to the next round.
"The Premier League is very important but the FA Cup gives us a chance to build momentum.
"We are not going to go there and give 99%, we go out there to give 100%.
"I have had success in the FA Cup a couple of times and walking around waving to the fans after winning it are memories you remember."
Match Appointments
Referee Anthony Taylor
Assistant Referees David Bryan & John Flynn
Fourth Official Jeremy Simpson
Stats
• Newcastle have won the Cup on six occasions, but their last FA Cup final victory was in 1955.
• This is one of five all Premier League ties in the third round. Cardiff won the Cup for the only time in 1927 when they beat Arsenal in the final, the only time the Cup has been won by a non-English team. Cardiff were runners up to Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth on their best recent FA Cup run.
• Cardiff lost 5-1 the last time they were at St James' Park, in a Championship match in 2010. Newcastle won 2-1 when the teams met in the Premier League at the Cardiff City Stadium in October.
Teams
Provisional Newcastle United squad: Krul, Elliot, Alnwick, Williamson, Yanga-Mbiwa, S. Taylor, Santon, Dummett, Haidara, Tiote, Anita, Cabaye, Marveaux, Sissoko, Ben Arfa, Gutierrez, Sammy Ameobi, Bigirimana, Obertan, Cisse, Remy, Gouffran, Shola Ameobi.
Provisional Cardiff City squad: Marshall, Connolly, Caulker, Hudson, Turner, Whittingham, Medel, Cornelius, Campbell, Odemwingie, Brayford, Kim, Smith, Noone, Gunnarsson, Mutch, Cowie, Mason, Maynard, McNaughton, Theophile-Catherine, Lewis, John.