Stephen Warnock
Former England and Blackburn Rovers defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

The team that Newcastle have put out is a strong team and one that they feel should be able to get the job done tonight.

They have come here and been respectful to [Blackburn] and the competition tonight.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at Ewood Park

Image source, Michael Emons

What an up an down 12 months it has been for Newcastle - with the FA Cup their last chance to make this a silverware-winning season.

They played at Wembley on 26 February, 2023, losing to Manchester United in the Carabao Cup final before finishing fourth in the Premier League for a Champions League return for the first time in 20 years.

But, despite a memorable 4-1 win over Paris St-Germain, they finished bottom of a horrendously different group with boss Eddie Howe instantly targeting European action for 2024-25.

However, they have dropped to 10th in the Premier League so their quickest way back to continental football is to win four matches in the FA Cup - and also secure their first trophy since 1969.

Howe admitted the cup was their last change to salvage something from a campaign that had promised so much. He said: “We are still in the throes of deciding where this season ends up. Nothing is decided for or against us.

“I definitely want to squash that feeling that we are feeling sorry for ourselves because that has negative connotations. We need the players excited and ambitious, thinking brightly about the future.

“This season can still be very special for us, but we have to make it happen. Qualifying for the Champions League was unbelievable, but if you can’t make that again, then we have to look for the next best alternative.

“For me, the Europa League and Conference League are realistic objectives and we’ll give everything we can to achieve it.”

Image source, Michael Emons

Manchester City

Image source, Reuters

Fair to say Manchester City are taking this game seriously judging by that line-up. Finally, a bit of a rest for Rodri who has started 33 games this season.

Kevin de Bruyne and Erling Haaland were out injured when City won 2-1 at Kenilworth Road in the Premier League on 10 December. Not tonight.

With a Manchester derby on Sunday, Pep Guardiola clearly wants this wrapped up without the need of extra-time and penalties.

Luton make three changes to the XI that began their 4-1 loss at Liverpool last time out.

Tim Krul replaces Thomas Kaminski in goal, with Reece Burke and Jordan Clark also starting.

Gabriel Osho is among the substitutes, Albert Sambi Lokonga is out after suffering a hamstring injury at Anfield.

Luton XI: Krul, Mengi, Bell, Burke, Ogbene, Barkley, Clark, Doughty, Chong, Woodrow, Morris.

Subs: Shea, Osho, Berry, Mpanzu, Hashioka, Townsend, Johnson, Nelson, Piesold.

Image source, BBC/ Opta

Kevin De Bruyne starts as Pep Guardiola makes four changes to the Manchester City side that started the 1-0 win at Bournemouth on Saturday.

Stefan Ortega starts in goal, Kyle Walker comes in to captain the side and Jack Grealish is also drafted into the XI.

Ederson, Ruben Dias, Rodri and Phil Foden drop to the bench.

Manchester City XI: Ortega, Walker, Stones, Akanji, Ake, Kovacic, Nunes, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Grealish, Haaland.

Subs: Ederson, Dias, Doku, Rodri, Alvarez, Gomez, Foden, Bobb, Lewis.

Image source, BBC/ Opta

Image source, .

I didn't expect Manchester City to start reminding me of George Graham's Arsenal side of the 1990s, but they are winning ugly at the moment, with back-to-back 1-0 wins.

Luton gave City a good game at Kenilworth Road before Christmas, when they led 1-0 at half-time before losing 2-1, and I think Hatters boss Rob Edwards will go for it again here, despite having Premier League survival to think about.

I am expecting City to edge it again this time, although I am not quite sure what team their manager Pep Guardiola will put out.

He killed my Fantasy team at the weekend because I had picked Kyle Walker, Julian Alvarez and Jeremy Doku, and all three started the game on the bench.

One of City's strengths is the way they can rotate and still be so strong. Luton have got a goal in them, but it won't be enough.

Prediction: 1-2

Nigel Rothband
The Man City Show podcast

Image source, Getty Images

The next month looks ridiculously tough for City.

It starts at Luton in the FA Cup, where Pep Guardiola will undoubtedly shuffle his pack. After that, the next five league games are against teams who sit in the top seven places right now.

Sandwiched in between is the Champions League last-16 second leg against Copenhagen.

Talk about a season-defining month!

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at Ewood Park

Image source, .

Blackburn make two changes from the side that drew 1-1 at the weekend against Norwich and both are enforced as Sondre Tronstad (ankle) and Ryan Hedges (groin) miss out, with Ben Chrisene and Andrew Moran coming in.

Fifteen-year-old midfielder Rory Finneran turns 16 on Thursday and he is named among the substitutes. The midfielder became Blackburn's youngest ever player when he featured in the 5-2 win over Cambridge in the third round.

Blackburn XI: Pears, Wharton, McFadzean, Hyam, Chrisene, Moran, Buckley, Brittain, Gallagher, Dolan, Szmodics.

Subs: Wahlstedt, Markandy, Pickering, Garrett, Koumetio, Sigurdsson, Finneran, Ayari, Telalovic.

Image source, .

Newcastle were hammered 4-1 by Arsenal at the weekend and Eddie Howe makes five changes. Martin Dubravka returns in goal after injury, with Dan Burn, Jamaal Lascelles, Joe Willock and Jacob Murphy also coming back in.

Miguel Almiron and Harvey Barnes are among the options on the bench.

Newcastle XI: Dubravka, Burn, Lascelles, Schar, Trippier, Willock, Murphy, Guimaraes, Longstaff, Gordon, Isak.

Subs: Karius, Livramento, Anderson, Krafth, Almiron, Ritchie, Barnes, Miley, Hall.

We'll have the full team news shortly but Pep Guardiola has gone strong with his Manchester City team for tonight. Erling Haaland, Kevin de Bruyne and Jack Grealish start.

Man City XI: Ortega, Walker, Stones, Akanji, Ake, Kovacic, Nunes, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Grealish, Haaland

Subs: Ederson, Dias, Doku, Rodrigo, Alvarez, Gomez, Foden, Bobb, Lewis

FA Cup

Image source, PA Media

Manchester City's last eight games in the FA Cup:

Tottenham (away) W 1-0

Huddersfield (home) W 5-0

Man Utd (Wembley) W 2-1

Sheff Utd (Wembley) W 3-0

Burnley (home) W 6-0

Bristol City (away) W 3-0

Arsenal (home) W 1-0

Chelsea (home) W 4-0

Leicester have only failed to score in one of their past 22 FA Cup matches (W17 D0 L5), a 1-0 home defeat by Chelsea in the 2019-20 quarter-final.

They have beaten Millwall 3-2 and Birmingham 3-0 this season, but have never scored three or more goals in three consecutive FA Cup games before.

Image source, .

Bournemouth have gone seven games without a win in the Premier League but they were unlucky to be beaten by Manchester City on Saturday.

I fancy Andoni Iraola's side here. Leicester have had a brilliant season in the Championship but they have lost their past two games and still have some work to do to secure automatic promotion.

Prediction: 2-1

Image source, Getty Images

This is the first ever FA Cup meeting between Bournemouth and Leicester.

The Cherries have won their past three against the Foxes in all competitions, more than they had in their previous 13 meetings (W2 D5 L6).

The draw for the quarter-finals take place tomorrow at around 7pm, before the rest of the fifth-round fixtures.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at Ewood Park

Image source, Michael Emons

Former England captain Alan Shearer, who is part of the Match of the Day team for tonight’s game on BBC One, is a hero among Blackburn and Newcastle fans.

He scored 34 goals in 42 matches as Blackburn won the Premier League title in 1994-95 before moving to Newcastle for the 1996-97 campaign and he went on to become their record goalscorer.

In 441 Premier League appearances, he scored 260 goals and registered 64 assists and also won the Golden Boot for being the league’s top scorer on three occasions.

He truly was a sweet finisher and scorer of some tasty goals so what better way to honour him than to put his name on cupcakes for the media to enjoy before the game.

Image source, Michael Emons

Manchester City

Image source, Getty Images

With the Manchester derby on Sunday, does Pep Guardiola go full strength against Luton or rest the likes of Kevin de Bruyne, Erling Haaland and Rodri?

This is City's 41st match of the season and with Pep Guardiola's side chasing another Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup Treble, they could face another 21 games over the next three months.

Forward Oscar Bobb, who has signed a new five-year contract, Sergio Gomez, Rico Lewis and Stefan Ortega are all itching for game-time.

Team news from Kenilworth Road will be dropping at around 19:00 GMT.

Only the third and fourth rounds of the FA Cup have replays. Fifth round onwards there's extra time and penalties, so prepare yourself for the possibility of a late one tonight.

VAR is also in play in the FA Cup, but only at Premier League grounds. That means only Blackburn v Newcastle tonight is without the technology.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at Ewood Park

Image source, Michael Emons

Blackburn and Newcastle are two of the top nine most successful teams in the history of the FA Cup - but you have to go a long way back in the record books for their glories.

Both sides have won the competition six times, behind only Arsenal (14), Manchester United (12), Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham (eight apiece) and Manchester City and Aston Villa (both seven).

Rovers won the cup five times in the first 20 stagings - three times in the 1880s and twice in the early 1890s - with a further triumph in 1928. Meanwhile, Newcastle have lifted the trophy in 1910, 1924, 1932, 1951, 1952 and 1955.

But both teams have not had too much FA Cup success in recent times.

Newcastle have only made the quarter-finals once in the past 17 seasons, while Blackburn are looking to make the last eight for successive campaigns having lost 3-2 to Sheffield United last year after five third-round defeats between 2018 and 2022.

Whoever wins today will be one game away from Wembley, a venue Blackburn have not played at since it reopened in 2007. Newcastle's last trip to the national stadium came almost exactly a year ago when they lost 2-0 to Manchester United in the Carabao Cup final.

Bournemouth make six changes to the side that lost 1-0 to FA Cup holders Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday.

Mark Travers replaces Neto in goal, while Alex Scott, Philip Billing, Dango Ouattara, Luis Sinisterra and Enes Unal also come in.

Leading scorer Dominic Solanke is not the squad at all.

Bournemouth: Travers, Smith, Zabaryi, Senesi, Kerkez, Scott, Cook, Ouattara, Billing, Sinisterra, Unal.

Subs: Radu, Mepham, Kinsey, Christie, Faivre, Tavernier, Kluivert, Semenyo.

Image source, BBC Sport

Leicester make nine changes to the squad that lost 3-1 at Leeds on Friday night.

Hamza Choudhury and Jannik Vestergaard are the only two to keep their place.

Conor Coady comes in, while Marc Albrighton captains the side and Tom Cannon leads the line.

Leicester: Stolarczyk, Choudhury, Coady, Vestergaard, Doyle, Praet, Raikhy, Yunus, Albrighton, Marcal, Cannon.

Subs: Ward, Ricardo, Souttar, Nelson, Justin, Briggs, Thomas, Fatawu, Iheanacho.

Image source, BBC Sport