Steve Bruce admits that there is likely to be a "little bit of spice" in the clash against his old club Aston Villa.
The relegation-haunted Villa Park side sent Newcastle crashing down to the Championship twice in the space of seven years and supporters have a modern rivalry with the club.
Bruce spent two years at cash-strapped Villa and was contemplating selling Jack Grealish at one stage to raise fund.
When asked if there will be some bite in the game, Bruce joked: "Well they sacked me a couple of years ago so I hope there's a bit of spice!
"Supporters create that environment but we don't have them there so our motivation is to try and finish the season strongly and get into the top 10."
United lost 2-0 at Villa Park earlier in the season but Newcastle have got stronger as the season went on.
Bruce must now contemplate making changes to the side as Newcastle face their second game in the space of four days.
He said: "I'm sure there'll come a time when we need to change (the team).
"Whether we do it tomorrow so quickly, we'll assess that.
"It helps to make five substitutions like we can.
"We'll see how we've recovered but there'll definitely be a time for change at some point
