Wembley awaits Newcastle United once more. Eddie Howe's team are looking to return to the home of English football for the second time in three years on a search for the club's first major trophy in 70 years.

In 2023, they fell at the last hurdle, defeated by Manchester United. They have an optimistic one foot in March's final already as the Magpies enter Wednesday night's semi-final second leg with a two-goal advantage.

Arsenal enter the return leg buoyed by a 5-1 hammering of Manchester City on Sunday afternoon - which adds to the sense of tension and occasion. The Arsenal from last month's first leg were struggling for goals and fluidity and the one which played at the weekend showed no such signs by the end.

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Howe, on the other hand, enters having fallen to defeat against Fulham. He knows his team will still have to be at their best even starting with a considerable lead.

Both sides will be playing without key players, too. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus remain out for Arsenal with Ben White also still side-lined.

Newcastle have their own problems. Harvey Barnes will be absent, while Joelinton has emerged as a doubt after Saturday's match. "He had a knee brace on as a precaution," Howe confirmed. "I would say that he is a doubt - but we will give him every chance to be fit."

Three players who are fit and raring to go are Joe Willock, Jacob Murphy and Fabian Schar. That trio are the centre of Newcastle's official pre-match graphic online.

Far from a certainty, of course, that can be taken as a hint that they will all be involved. Being without any of them would come as a serious blow at this stage.

"Let's do this. UNITED. [Punch emoji]" the club wrote on Instagram in the morning of the match. With Willock as the background of an image including Schar playing a pass and Murphy dribbling, the excitement continues to ramp up.

"It's what we're here for," Howe has said on the game himself. "I made it very clear when I came to Newcastle that it's what I wanted to achieve. I speak on behalf of the players and coaching staff in that respect."

Howe continued: "These games take on huge importance when you get towards the latter stages. The team knows they must maintain high performance levels to compete with any division rival.

"I think the willingness has been there from previous teams, but we want to be the team that can get over the line and achieve something special."