Newcastle United Visits Millwall for Carabao Cup Third Round

Newcastle United travels to The Den on Tuesday, September 8, for a Carabao Cup third-round tie against Millwall. Matthias Jaissle’s side seeks to extend an unbeaten run, while Millwall receives a major boost with Jenson Metcalfe’s red card successfully rescinded ahead of the 20:00 BST kickoff.

Newcastle United heads into London for a Carabao Cup third-round clash against Championship side Millwall at The Den, with a fourth-round berth on the line. Matthias Jaissle brings his squad across London looking to stretch an unbeaten competitive run to five matches this season, navigating a busy fixture list that includes a recent 2-2 Premier League draw against Bournemouth and a 2-0 away win at Tottenham.

Squad Availability and Jaissle’s Selection Puzzle at Newcastle United

The visiting side faces notable personnel hurdles ahead of the cup tie. Dan Burn, William Osula, and Joelinton remain unavailable through injury, with Joelinton expected to miss a couple of weeks.

Joelinton is out for a couple of weeks. I am really confident that he will be back as soon as possible.

Rotation remains on the cards for Jaissle, who noted that decisions depend heavily on the physical and mental recovery of his squad. New arrival Matias Fernandez-Pardo is a candidate for his first start since transferring from Lille, while younger squad options such as Bazoumana Toure, Alfie Harrison, and Aladji Bamba could feature. Regarding young forward Aladji Bamba, Jaissle emphasized patience regarding player development.

Matthias Jaissle acknowledged the importance of patience with young players, stating: He has huge potential, and we can’t wait to have him back. We need to wait until he is 100% ready. Everyone responds a little bit differently to the physicality and intensity of the game.

In goal, the situation remains fluid following an injury concern. Ewen Jaouen twisted his ankle on Friday, leaving Nick Pope on the bench during recent league action.

We’ll need to see [who plays]. There was a reason [Pope was on the bench], because Ewen was twisting his ankle [on Friday].

Tino Livramento also continues his path back to full fitness following partial involvement in training, though Jaissle confirmed it is too early for the defender to start.

Millwall’s Roster Boost and Turbulent Championship Form

Millwall enters the fixture sitting seventh in the Championship after claiming three victories from their opening five league fixtures. Alex Neil’s side rebounded from consecutive defeats against Southampton and Wrexham—conceding a combined eight goals across those two matches—by securing a 4-0 win over Bolton.

The Lions navigated a turbulent transfer window closing period that saw the departure of their top threat, Femi Azeez, after Brighton increased their offer to £15m. That squad turnover coincided with an extensive injury list. Neil remains without Casper De Norre, Josh Coburn, Tristan Crama, Alfie Doughty, Mathis Servais, Ryan Leonard, Mihailo Ivanovic, Lukas Jensen, and Luke Cundle, while Kyrell Lisbie will undergo a late fitness assessment.

Despite those ongoing absences, Millwall received a timely reprieve when their appeal for Jenson Metcalfe’s red card picked up during the Bolton win was successfully rescinded. The reversal clears Metcalfe to face Newcastle, providing crucial depth in midfield alongside expected contributors Yanis Issoufou and Romain Esse, with Filip Marschall standing by for a potential debut in goal.

Historical Context Behind Tuesday’s Den Showdown

Tuesday night’s encounter marks the first competitive meeting between the two clubs in more than 33 years. Their last competitive fixtures took place during the 1992/93 second-tier campaign. Newcastle secured a 2-1 victory at the old Den on April 17, 1993, overcoming an early 18th-minute lead by Barber thanks to second-half goals from Lee Clark and Andy Cole. That triumph catalyzed a five-match winning streak that clinched promotion as champions under Kevin Keegan, following an initial 11-match winning run to open that season. Earlier that same campaign, on December 20, 1992, at St James’ Park, Millwall claimed a first-half lead before David Kelly converted a 75th-minute penalty to secure a 1-1 draw.