EDDIE Howe has prioritised minimising distractions as he fights against the threat of mental fatigue in his Newcastle United squad in the build-up to the Carabao Cup final against Manchester United.
Howe and his coaching team have worked on keeping this week as normal as possible.
The Magpies won't travel to the capital until Saturday morning, with Howe preparing for the final as he would any other game.
His focus this week has been on ensuring the players don't "overthink" things. With that in mind, Howe believes the fact Manchester United have a Europa League clash against Barcelona on Thursday night actually plays in their favour, whereas Newcastle have had a "long week" in the build-up to Sunday's final.
"The pre-game build-up is long, whereas Man United play Thursday," said Howe.
"It's probably a healthy thing for them, whereas we have to be careful we don't overthink things.
"We are trying to get the players to relax and enjoy themselves and be ready to give their best performance."
Howe and his players conducted their pre-match media interviews on Tuesday, so the focus for the rest of the week was purely on football and the tactical and mental preparations for the final.
Although it's a first domestic cup final for 24 years for the Magpies, Newcastle have plenty of players who can call on the experience of big games and occasions.
And everything has been geared towards keeping the players as relaxed as possible.
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"We're keen to get the majority of the work done that's not focused on the game so I can focus on the football and the tactical side," explained Howe.
"It's a normal preparation in terms of our training week. The lads have trained really well.
"We will make our way to Wembley as we would do the day before the game. Hopefully we will settle in quickly and get used to the surroundings.
"There's the potential, going too early, you can fatigue the players mentally. When they are sitting just waiting for the match, that can drain you of energy. So we have to be careful not to fatigue them that way.
"In my opinion, it's trying to create a very normal routine so they are used to how we are going to prepare. Hopefully, it will save them energy."
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