Kieran Trippier in line for Newcastle United debut against Cambridge United in sold-out FA Cup tie

Kieran Trippier could make his debut for Newcastle United when they host Cambridge United in the Third Round of the FA Cup this weekend.

The 31-year-old completed his move to St James’ Park on Friday morning, but question marks remained as to whether he would be allowed to feature against the League One side. It was subsequently confirmed that he would be given permission to play, although it remains to be seen whether he will start or be put on the substitutes bench.

When asked about the possibility of Trippier making his debut against the U’s, Magpies manager Eddie Howe confirmed that the club were “working towards that” and he later emphasised the importance of cup tie.

“We need to win. I’ve made that very clear to the players in our preparation. For me, there’s no balancing act other than trying to give our best performance and trying to win the game. It’s clear what we need to do.”

His comments indicate that we could see Newcastle at full strength against Cambridge, albeit that key players such as Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson will be ruled out through injury. The Magpies will need to rebuild their fitness levels after their last two Premier League matches were postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak at the club and Howe admitted that this would impact who plays against the U’s.

On paper, this FA Cup tie is one of the biggest mismatches in the Third Round. Newcastle’s takeover makes them by far the richest club in world football with their net worth now at a staggering £317 billion, almost four times as much as the rest of the Premier League combined. Their new majority shareholders, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF), have set out to turn the Magpies into one of the dominant forces in European football.

Their priority for now, however, is to avoid relegation down to the Championship.

Newcastle are currently 19th in the Premier League, but the three-point gap between them and safety seems bridgeable, especially given their predicted January transfer business. Lille defender Sven Botman, Everton full-back Lucas Digne and Manchester United forward Anthony Martial have all been linked with a move to the North East in the last few days.

Ultimately, this cannot distract from the fact that the Magpies have won just once in all competitions so far this season, which is something that Cambridge can certainly take advantage of.

The U’s have adapted unbelievably well to life in the third tier after winning promotion from League Two last season. Their five-point gap on the bottom four has lifted them to 16th and Mark Bonner’s side continue to perform above all expectations. This allows them to shift their focus onto cup competitions, something which Newcastle might not have the luxury of doing.

Despite Howe’s comments, the Magpies will likely be fully focused on their relegation battle, while Cambridge will have their eyes on progression in the FA Cup and Papa John’s Trophy. After all, Cambridge have already played three games in the competition this season, seeing off Northampton Town and Exeter City to reach the Third Round for the first time in five years.

That being said, Newcastle fans are desperate to see their side go on a cup run, having only progressed past the Fourth Round stage once since 2006. The U’s, on the other hand, will have memories of famous cup ties against Manchester United and Leeds United fresh in their minds.

Speaking to the press on Thursday morning, U’s boss Mark Bonner emphasised the magnitude of the challenge his side will face at St James’ Park.

“There’s going to be an incredible turnout, which is no real surprise, everyone knows how well supported Newcastle are and the fact that they’re in a real positive mindset as a club after the takeover, and with the excitement of the transfer window, which hopefully will bring the best out of us and really inspire us to give a good performance.

“As we know, we’ll need to be at the very top of our game to be competitive against them, but that’s something to look forward to. It’s games like this that we have worked really hard for.

“As on many occasions going into games this season, we go into it as major underdogs. We know that’s the case, but that tag, “confident underdog” that we’ve used a lot, is one that we will have to try and take to St James’ Park this weekend.”

The mismatch is further complicated by a variety of absentees in Cambridge’s squad. The U’s will have just one senior centre-back available, Jubril Okedina, following the end of Conor Masterson’s loan spell at the club. Lloyd Jones and Greg Taylor are still recovering from their respective injuries while attacker Sam Smith will miss the trip to the North East after picking up a red card in Monday’s league game against Portsmouth.

Ultimately, this cup tie may be decided by individual battles on the pitch, something that Newcastle clearly have the upper hand in. Many will predict James Brophy to have a tough time up against Trippier, provided that he starts, while the likes of Miguel Almirón and Ryan Fraser could cause countless issues for the U’s full-backs.

Cambridge do have a not-so-secret weapon of their own, however, Wes Hoolahan. The 39-year-old has significant Premier League experience playing for Norwich City, something which could give the U’s the upper hand in a tightly fought midfield battle.

Striker Joe Ironside will undoubtedly be the visitors’ main attacking outlet, having notched up 11 goals in League One so far this season. If he can use win the physical battle against Newcastle’s defenders, who will undoubtedly be low on confidence after a disastrous league campaign, then he will have ample space in the Magpies penalty area should his teammates be able to support him.

The odds may be firmly stacked in Cambridge’s favour, but Bonner’s ‘confident underdog’ tagline could set them up to bloody the noses of the richest club in world football.

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