Magpies could be without a game for three weeks
NEWCASTLE United could face a three-week gap without a fixture next month – but fans must again wait to find out when their away match against Tottenham Hotspur will be played.
Spurs’ 2-2 draw with Rochdale in the FA Cup fifth round means Mauricio Pochettino’s men must negotiate a replay.
Should they prevail in that game, then the sixth-round tie against Sheffield Wednesday or Swansea is scheduled for the weekend of March 16-19.
Newcastle are due to travel to Wembley to take on Spurs on Friday, March 16 - but that match will be postponed if Spurs progress in the cup.
With an international weekend commencing on Saturday, March 23, Rafa Benitez’s side already face a two-week hiatus in their fixture list next month - but that could yet be extended by a further week.
With the Spurs game set to be postponed if Tottenham do win their replay against Rochdale, the Magpies will likely face a 21-day gap between their home clash with Southampton on March 10 and their subsequent fixture against fellow strugglers Huddersfield at St James’ Park on Easter Saturday, March 31.
Such a delay is likely to have significant ramifications for the relegation dogfight.
In one sense, the gap may benefit Newcastle as they will have three weeks to prepare for a huge match against Huddersfield - but it will also mean Benitez’s men must go 21 days without a competitive fixture at a crucial stage in the campaign.
Pochettino’s Tottenham are in the last 16 of the Champions League and host Juventus in the second leg on March 7, the tie evenly poised at 2-2.
The further Spurs progress in the FA Cup and the Champions League, the longer the potential postponement of the fixture against United is likely to be.
UEFA is also reluctant to allow domestic matches to be played on Champions League nights so, even if Spurs are knocked out by Juventus, taking on Tottenham during a midweek in which European games are scheduled could prove problematic.
What is more, given that March 18-March 30 is part of the international calendar, FIFA will not permit a domestic fixture to be played during that window.