However, he insists West Ham can surprise the Toon with the right attitude.
Lopetegui said: "It’s true that on paper this is a tough challenge. For one, it is on a Monday, in a tough environment, but I don’t want to make excuses. We have to be ready to play on any day of the week, and I think this is a good opportunity to show how competitive we can be.
"We know things are going to get busy now at the end of November and going into December, and it is a key time because we have a lot of matches in quick succession, but we are working hard all the time and we are confident we have the quality to get the results we are after.
"The only thing I am focused on right now is the Newcastle game, and going up against a tough team in what is sure to be a tough match.
"We are ready for high demands. In my opinion they are one of the most complex teams in the league, and they have a lot of technical, physical and tactical quality. We have to be aware of that and be ready to compete, and that’s what we’re all working on."