'Dangerous ' - Eddie Howe reacts to £118m injury blow ahead of Newcastle United vs Man City

Rodri will miss the rest of the campaign with the ACL injury he sustained in last weekend’s 2-2 draw against Arsenal while Kevin De Bruyne won’t feature after missing the last two matches because of a thigh injury.

But Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe doesn’t believe their absence will have much of an impact.

“Regardless of whoever they play, they have an outstanding team of midfielders however Pep decides to play,” said Howe.

“They’ve got players who have won continually over the last few years so I don’t think it changes anything from our perspective. We have to do our part and that is play at our best and give everything we can physically.”

Asked if it can give Newcastle an advantage against the Premier League champions, Howe replied: “It’s dangerous to focus on that because you prepare for the team you think you’re going to face and you try and find a way to try and compete with that team, give them problems and find a way to deal with the problems they’re going to give you.

“It’s the same for us, we’ve been carrying long-term injuries now for a long period of time and no one would regularly hear us talking about Sven Botman, Callum Wilson, Lewy Miley, Jamaal Lascelles etc. Last year that wasn’t really the case, you have to deliver with the team you have and I’ve got no doubt Manchester City will.

“Pep has done that throughout his managerial career. He finds a way with the players he has and our challenge is, whoever he picks, is to be competitive and try and impose ourselves on the game.”

Howe too is facing some difficult decisions when it comes to his three-man midfield with five players to choose from. Bruno Guimaraes will likely start in the No.6 but there is a debate as to who should start from Joelinton, Sandro Tonali, Joe Willock and Sandro Tonali.

“What is the balance? The balance is there is a good harmony between all the players and they understand their roles and execute what their position requires,” Howe said. “I’ve got no issue with the balance, that wasn’t the issue against Fulham, there was a bigger problem. Whoever plays, we’re looking for them to deliver a Newcastle performance.”