Overview
Newcastle entered this match after a 0-1 defeat to Sunderland in the Premier League, the result caused the "Magpies" to drop to 12th place in the rankings, 4 points behind the fifth-placed Crystal Palace.
This defeat was also a big decline and reflected the difficulty in maintaining Newcastle's stable performance in the first months of the 2025-2026 season.
Newcastle are now the reigning Carabao Cup champions, having defeated Liverpool in the 2024-25 final, their first domestic title since the 1954-1925 FA Cup.
Eddie Howe's side started the 2025-2026 Carabao Cup season with a 4-1 win over Bradford City and most recently a 2-0 win over Tottenham, aiming to qualify for the semi-finals.
In history, Newcastle have only met Fulham three times in the Carabao Cup, the last two in 1981, when Fulham won with a total score of 4-1 after two second-round matches. Fulham have previously lost to Newcastle just once in the round of 16 in the 1974-1985 season, but the capital team have lost 1-2 at St James' Park this season in the Premier League.
Fulham entered this match after a 3-2 victory over Burnley, helping them finish 13th in the Premier League, two points behind Newcastle. This season, Fulham has scored more goals than Newcastle (23 compared to 21) and is aiming for a historic opportunity to win a ticket to the Carabao Cup semi-finals for the first time.
Marco Silva's side have overcome a difficult period, including wins over Bristol City, Cambridge United and Wycombe Wanderers on penalties, proving to be a challenging opponent.
Personnel situation
Newcastle will be without Dan Burn (hamstring), Nick Pope (left), Kieran Trippier (hamstring), Sven Botman (back) and William Osula ( ankle) due to injury. Burn suffered a broken rib and a punctured lung in the match against Sunderland last weekend, forcing the England international to take a long break from competition.
Coach Eddie Howe is expected to field the strongest possible lineup, with the possibility of Yoane Wissa making his official debut after coming off the bench against Burnley and Sunderland.
On Fulham's side, Rodrigo Muniz and Ryan Sessegnon are absent due to thigh injuries, while Calvin Bassey, Samuel Chukwueze and Alex Iwobi are preparing to participate in the African Cup.
Harry Wilson, Fulham's top scorer with five goals, will play as a striker, while Raul Jimenez leads the attack with the goal of bringing his goals this season to three.
Expected lineup:
Newcastle: Ramsdale, Livramento, Schar, Thiaw, Hall, Miley, Guimaraes, Joelinton, Murphy, Wissa, Barnes.
Fulham: Leno, Tete, Andersen, Cuenca, Castagne, Berge, Lukic, Wilson, King, Kevin, Jimenez.
The match between Newcastle and Fulham takes place at 3:15 am on December 18 (Vietnam time).
