Newcastle last reached a domestic cup final in 1998/99, but Rafa Benitez was keen to not raise expectations amongst supporter too much.
“To have a cup run is always good for the spirit. But at the end, you know it is very difficult. You have to find the balance. At Valencia, you could change seven players and still win. Now, to change seven players and keep winning, only the top sides can do that.
“The main thing for me is to be sure we are competitive. We will try to win, and if we can go through, fine. If we cannot, it’s because maybe we are not strong enough to manage two or three competitions.”
Newcastle may be without Jonjo Shelvey (thigh) and Matt Ritchie (knee) for Wednesday's match, but Kenedy is available for selection again after being ineligible against his parent club.