Puel Highlights Newport Threat
- Leicester City manager Claude Puel looks ahead to Sunday's Emirates FA Cup Third Round tie at Newport County
- The Foxes boss pointed to Newport's impressive display at this stage last season
- City will need to adapt to a number of 'difficult situations', says Puel
- Live coverage starts at 2:30pm GMT on LCFC Radio
In City’s maiden FA Cup fixture of the 2018/19 season, Michael Flynn’s Sky Bet League 2 side will entertain Premier League opposition for the second time in 12 months.
Last January, the Exiles forced Tottenham Hotspur to a fourth round replay after Pádraig Amond's opener was equalised late on by Harry Kane in South Wales.
While Newport ultimately lost the subsequent fixture at Wembley, Puel believes that initial result should act as a warning for his side as they prepare for the fixture.
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“Of course – it’s important to look at this team and to look at the history of this team,” he said on Friday, when asked to describe his research on Newport’s qualities.
“For example, last season, they played well with a good result at home against Tottenham.
“We know it will be a tough match because it’s difficult to play against this team on this small pitch and they also play rugby on this pitch.
“I don’t know if the pitch is very [good] to play football… it’s a physical team with a fighting spirit and all situations, we know, we can have in cup games.
“It’s typical of the cup and we need to be ready about this spirit, this fighting spirit, and [we need to] be ready, strong in our head, and ready to play a strong game against this team.”
While the City boss concedes that Sunday’s tie is a ‘fantastic opportunity’ for Newport to impress, the Frenchman expects a professional and determined performance from his side.
“We need to be ready simply because I know the tradition with the cup,” he continued.
“In France, it’s also a big tradition with the French Cup and we know, for all the teams playing in different leagues, it a fantastic opportunity to play against a professional, Premier League team.
“They’ll be trying to create an upset and we know these difficulties but we need to be strong in this situation.
“I think it’s a good learning [opportunity] for all the young players to adapt about the situations of the pitch, of the tradition, and to take this good feeling about the cup.
“The cup is not just a game against a Premier League team… it’s why people like this cup, because all is possible and an upset is possible all the time.
“We have to play away in different condition, sometimes – like in our last game – in difficult situations but we need to adapt.”