John Eustace will monitor a few tired bodies in the Blackburn Rovers squad but ruled Ryan Hedges out of the Newcastle United match.

The Welshman has just returned from a long-term hamstring injury and was forced off against Norwich City after 15 minutes.

Eustace did not give a definitive timescale of his return but has ruled him out of Tuesday night's clash with a groin injury. The hope is that it will not be long-term.

Similarly, he will have to assess the likes of Kyle McFadzean and Sam Gallagher, who have played a lot of minutes in recent matches.

READ MORE: Eustace outlines 'freedom' hope for Rovers tie

"Hedgey had to come off after 15 minutes on Saturday which was disappointing," Eustace said.

"He felt his groin, we asked a lot of him in the week before with those three games. We have to look after him, he won't be available for the game tomorrow.

"We will be monitoring that. I hope it's not long-term, it was important to rest him against Cardiff in the week.

"We thought we could get another performance out of him but it was probably a little bit too early.

"We will look at the team for tomorrow. We have a lot of games coming up and it's important we rotate the squad as well and look after everyone.

"With the games coming thick and fast, it's relentless. We have to monitor one or two but we also know it is a fantastic occasion that everyone wants to be part of.

"The team hasn't changed much in the last four or five games, the Championship is relentless. Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday.

"We have another four or five games coming up after this one. It's important we rotate the squad at the right times and look after the players at the right times.

"We take every game as it comes, this is a serious game and we have a responsibility to the fans and the club. We take every game just as seriously as each other."

Rovers are still chasing their first official win under Eustace after three draws and one defeat in his four matches. They did, of course, beat Stoke, though that was technically a victory for David Lowe and Damien Johnson.

The head coach is not concerned about the chase for a first win and is more encouraged by the improved performances he's seen.

"It's not weighing on me at all," Eustace said.

"The performances have been very good. We have had three really difficult away games, playing two top teams here, beating Stoke.

"It was a good performance against Norwich, the performances of the players have been fantastic up until now.

"The most important thing is being competitive in every game. The league is very important but we have a responsibility to the fans, Blackburn have won the cup six times.

"It's a game we're taking very seriously and we want to showcase ourselves."

"It's been proven up to now that the performances have been committed," he added.

"The fans since I've been here have been magnificent. It gives us another opportunity and everyone a chance to see a top Premier League team, how we can compete against them.

"The most important thing is that we enjoy the night. There is no pressure on us, no pressure on the group or the game.

"It's just important to go and showcase ourselves and be competitive. 

"We have a few different players now, the track record has been good in this competition.

"This group has been magnificent since I've been here and it's another chance to showcase themselves.

"I think the most important thing tomorrow is to enjoy the occasion. We are playing a fantastic team, the atmosphere will be great, let's go and enjoy the occasion.

"We want to be competitive, playing a top team. It's important everyone enjoys the occasion."