Sunderland boss Michael Beale urges his side to seize 'opportunity' of Newcastle United FA Cup derby

• Michael Beale looks ahead to the Wear-Tyne derby

Sunderland head coach Michael Beale has urged his players to seize the opportunity as the eyes of the nation turn to the Stadium of Light for the Wear-Tyne derby this weekend.

The club will go head to head with Newcastle United for the first time in almost eight years on Saturday 6 January after being drawn against each other in the third round of the FA Cup.

The Magpies are understandably favourites for the game given their status in the Premier League but Beale believes his squad will relish the opportunity to pit themselves against a team that was plying their trade in the Champions League less than a month ago.

"We will just focus on ourselves and the work we have been doing," he explained in his pre-match press conference. "We have a really young and ambitious team that is doing well in the Championship and it is important that we bring the best version of ourselves this week.

"They are young players and there is a lot of ambition in our dressing room from players who want to go on and play in the Premier League and Champions League.

"They are coming up against a team at the weekend who have been heavily invested in for that and have played in the Champions League this season. What an opportunity it is for those young players to go and get feedback and make our fans proud.

"It is a fantastic occasion, to be the first one in seven years but It is important we respect the derby and also play our normal game."

Sunderland have several injury issues ahead of the encounter with Patrick Roberts, the latest player to be added to the doubtful list.

Despite this, Beale has stressed his excitement for the match, having felt the buzz around the club since replacing Tony Mowbray as head coach last month.

"I'm really looking forward to the game, everyone has been since the draw came out," he said. "I arrived at the club after the draw was made but you could feel the anticipation building and now we are finally at game week.

"On both sides, everyone is looking forward to the game. It is the first derby in seven years which is far too long but it is the beauty of the FA Cup that has brought the game for everybody. It's one that everyone in the nation will be watching so it's a great game to be involved in.

"Everyone is optimistic and looking forward to it. And I think the whole nation is, not just the people in the North East and the supporters of the two clubs. It is the tie of the round and one for everyone to look forward to."

While Newcastle are clear favourites to progress to the fourth round, their preparation for the encounter could hardly have been worse. The Magpies have lost seven of their last eight games in all competitions during a packed December as the number of injuries within the squad begin to take their toll.

In contrast, the Black Cats have enjoyed a happier Christmas taking seven points from their last three games. However, Beale has refused to take any confidence from the clubs' contrasting recent fortunes given the quality of players the away side still have available.

"We have to trust ourselves and trust the work we have been doing," he said. "There is a reason that we are riding high in the Championship and there is a lot of good work going on. We need to take the emotion out of it as much as we can and play the game that is in front of us.

"We have young players in our squad that are showing up really well at the moment. This is a great opportunity for them to go and show again against a team who may not have good results of late but let's not fool ourselves, this Newcastle squad is a very good one."

Kick-off at the Stadium of Light is at 12:45pm on Saturday with the game broadcast live on ITV1.

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