Newcastle United caretaker boss John Carver has insisted that he has not be told to field a weakened team for his side's match in the third round of the FA Cup against Leicester City.
Magpies owner Mike Ashley revealed last year that winning cup competitions was not a priority of the club, although the Tynesiders did reach the last eight of the Capital One Cup this season.
The 49-year-old is adamant that he will field the strongest side he possibly can in light of his team's hectic fixture schedule over the past two weeks.
When asked if he had been told to field a weakened team, Carver told reporters: "I have not been told that.
"I have got to be honest, but we might not have any options when we see who is available. I know how important it is to win a Premier League game and how important it is to win an FA Cup match too, so I have not thought of it any differently if we had won, drew or lost.
"I know how important it is on Saturday and I have got to get the team ready for it. I need to see what we have available and I will pick my strongest available side. Listen, there has been an awful lot made about cup runs so let me say this. Every game I go into I want to win so I will put the best team on the pitch that I possibly can to win the game."
Newcastle last won the FA Cup in 1955, although they have been runners-up on three occasions since their last triumph.
Simon Sinclair
