Keegan, who received a tremendous reception when he arrived ‘home’, admitted before kick-off that part of him never wanted to manage a side against his beloved Newcastle.

But that is just what he must do as both sides eyed a place in the last eight of the AXA-sponsored competition.

Shaun Goater failed to shrug off a thigh injury for First Division leaders City, while Paul Ritchie and Danny Tiatto came in for the suspended Ali Benarbia and Stuart Pearce.

Newcastle manager Bobby Robson, who saw the Magpies beat City 3-1 in the 1955 Final, made just one change and Robbie Elliott came in for Nikos Dabizas with Sylvain Distin moving across to centre-half.