Newcastle United's team changes for Saturday's 1-0 Championship defeat by Blackburn were not influenced by Tuesday's EFL Cup quarter-final tie at Hull City, says manager Rafael Benitez.
The leaders made six changes, left Dwight Gayle on the bench, and missed out on a club record 10th straight win.
However, victory at Hull this week would put Newcastle into the last four for the second time in their history.
"I knew people would say that," Benitez told BBC Newcastle.
"If we won people would say the squad is strong, and if we lost, too many changes.