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The two sets of players are squeezed into the Britannia tunnel, Stoke led by Glenn Whelan, with Jonjo Shelvey at the front of the Newcastle line. 

"Right lads, let's go!" shouts referee Neil Swarbrick. A warm welcome greets the players in not-so warm conditions.

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Doctor Jekyll? Or Mr Hyde? Newcastle fans will be wondering which side of their team's character will come out tonight.

The one which resembles a respectable Premier League team? Or the one which cannot contain its inner demons?

Even Steve McClaren doesn't know...

"We go from one extreme to the other," says the Newcastle gaffer. "We've talked a lot about character, about fight and about attitude and about realising the situation that we are in before it's too late.

"We're in a scrap, we're in a fight and we've got to start joining in."

That's the wisecrack often used to question the credentials of a successful team, the inference being a midweek winter trip to the Britannia Stadium would be the toughest test of their mettle.

Why? Because they are playing a Stoke side long stereotyped as uncompromising, at a ground which is often cold, wet and windy in the winter months.

But is a midweek visit to the Potteries between the start of November and the end of February really that hard for Premier League players?

We've crunched the numbers to find out whether that myth is true...

Tonight really is a cold night in Stoke. And wet. And windy.

Those supporters at the Brit who have forgotten their woolly hats and thermal gloves are going to be in deep bother.

Stoke manager Mark Hughes talking to BBC Sport: "We've got momentum, although before our last two wins we had a spell of defeats. We needed to bounce back.

"We could have three wins in a row which is important to give you momentum towards the end of the season and takes you towards a good total.

On his unchanged team: "I thought continuity from the weekend was important. But we've got a strong bench and there are likely to be changes as the game goes on."

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But this isn't the Newcastle United show. What about Stoke City?

Relegation? Pah. No such fears for the Potters. Instead they're looking towards a European jaunt of their own - in next season's Europa League.

Mark Hughes' men are ninth, five points adrift of fifth-placed Manchester United.

A win tonight - their third in a row - will move them up to seventh.

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If you were under any illusions about how big a night this is for Newcastle then take a good glance at the Premier League table.

They need points tonight. No questions.

A point or three at the Emirates won't do Swansea any harm either...

How come Newcastle have been out of action for so long? Because, after that 5-1 horror show at Chelsea, they were not involved in the FA Cup fifth round, then had another free weekend because Saturday's scheduled opponents Manchester City were competing in the League Cup final.

So they return to find themselves second bottom, albeit with two games in hand on nearest rivals Sunderland and Norwich.

And the Magpies know just a point at Stoke tonight will drag them above those teams and out of the drop zone.

Why change a winning formula? That's what Stoke City manager Mark Hughes thinks. The Welshman names an unchanged team from the side which won 2-1 against Aston Villa at the weekend.

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Jonjo Shelvey wears the captain's armband for Newcastle with regular skipper Fabricio Coloccini missing out through injury.

Jamaal Lascelles replaces the Argentine for only his second Premier League start, while attacking midfielder Yoan Gouffran, left-back Paul Dummett, and central midfielder Jack Colback also come in.

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Image source, AP

Not many employers would reward under-performing staff with an all-expenses-paid trip to the sun-filled south-east corner of Spain.

Then again, football is no ordinary industry, Newcastle United is no ordinary company.

Magpies boss Steve McClaren used an 18-day break from competitive action to take his squad away for a morale-boosting team bonding session.

Now it is back to business for the Premier League's second-bottom side - avoiding relegation.

La Manga, Spain.

This was the view greeting the Newcastle United players when they arrived for their warm-weather training camp a couple of weeks ago...

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Stoke, England.

This is the view greeting the relegation-threatened players when they walk out of the tunnel for their first match since their trip...

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