RAFAEL BENITEZ insists he is taking the cup competitions seriously this season – even if it means regularly mixing up Newcastle United’s team.

The Magpies have three more Championship fixtures before they face Preston North End in the fourth round of the EFL Cup on October 25.

It was a draw that looks favourable to Newcastle because it is a home date against a non-Premier League team.

If Newcastle can negotiate the tie they will tee up a last eight game, and it could be against another Football League side with four of the games in the fourth round all-Premier League encounters.

Benitez is not thinking about how far Newcastle could go at this stage, but will be keen to progress while he makes changes.

He has already changed the face of his side in the first two games against Wolves and Cheltenham – and he will not be afraid to again if he thinks it is best for the team.

Benitez said: “We try to put the strongest team out for each game every time. If I pick different players for the cup, it is not because I don’t consider the cup to be important.

“It is just that I see the need to change things for that particular game. You might have one player who is level ten, and one who is level seven. But maybe this player who is at level seven, in this particular game, he can give you eight or nine, and the player who is at level ten, maybe he does not have the motivation or he is a little bit tired, so perhaps he might only be able to give you level six.

“You have to make sure you have the right players for the right game. If you have a mix of players, with the right match fitness and where one or two have to prove themselves, maybe that is the right team? If you are going to the Nou Camp to play Barcelona, it doesn’t matter who you pick because everybody will be very motivated.

“You have to be sure that you find the right balance between players who are playing already and doing well, and players that want to prove themselves and compete. If you do well and win, the squad will be stronger. If you lose, people will say, ‘he is only concentrating on the league’. But you have to try.”

Despite his comments, though, Benitez has hinted he does know his best team for the first time, even if he is confident in starting any member of his squad as he looks to take Newcastle back to the Premier League.

He said: “To be fair, we more or less know who are the best players, depending on the game. The good thing that we have is that we do not just have 11. We have some players that are at a similar level.

“The fans might sometimes say, ‘Why is he not playing this one’, but now we have a group of players where we have enough good players that you can pick one player ahead of another one and you will not see the difference.”

Newcastle's Championship fixture at home to Nottingham Forest has been moved forward to Friday, December 30 (kick-off 7.45pm) to ease potential transport issues for supporters.

The match has been switched from New Year's Eve, when supporters would have been leaving St James' Park at the same time as a public parade at the city's Civic Centre.