A heavily rotated Newcastle United side roared back into form on Wednesday night.
With an injury crisis limiting the options Eddie Howe had available to him, the Newcastle manager was forced to make a raft of changes at Manchester United.
Clearly, that did not matter.
The Magpies ran out 3-0 winners at Old Trafford to tee up what looks a winnable Carabao Cup quarter-final away at Chelsea.
Indeed, the fact Howe was able to lean on many of his squad players not always given a chance was hugely promising.
In fact, he picked out two players in particular.
Newcastle news: Eddie Howe wowed by two players at Man United
Emil Krafth got a special mention.
The Sweden international was making his first start in well over a year following a serious knee injury, operating out of position.
He partnered Paul Dummett in central defence as Newcastle kept a much-needed clean sheet after letting in two at Wolves.
“Emil Krafth coming back from such a long absence,” said Howe to Sky Sports.
“The way he played in a position maybe slightly foreign to him – I thought he was committed. Together with Paul Dummett, I thought they were excellent together.”
Newcastle: Howe’s defenders have stepped up
Krafth follows a number of other defenders behind the regular starting options of Fabian Schar and Sven Botman to have impressed this season.
Dummett was excellent against Manchester City in the last round too, while Jamaal Lascelles has stepped in during Botman’s injury lay-off well.
Quite whether or not they will be enough to keep Newcastle competitive in the Premier League and Champions League should more injuries strike remains to be seen, though the early signs are certainly promising.
With battles to fight on a number of different fronts, that reasonably unexpected strength in depth could be crucial.
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