Steve Bruce’s injury-stricken Newcastle United side would be hoping to get back to winning ways in the Premier League after their last outing ended in a spirited 2-2 draw against Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton. A stoppage time double from Florian Lejeune turned the tie around by the scruff of its neck, and the Magpies were able to steal a couple of points away from their visit to Merseyside.
Despite picking up two excellent back-to-back results, they would’ve been expecting an easier fixture at Oxford United, against whom they played out a stale 0-0 draw. The Magpies will now be looking to regroup and go in the league once again as they are set to take on bottom side Norwich City at St.James’ Park on Saturday. The Canaries have gradually sunk to the bottom of the table over the last few months, and it would take a true miracle to see them survive this fixture, let alone the season.
Team News
Steve Bruce has been so unfortunate this season that his team currently holds the unwanted record for most first-team players injured at the same time. With eleven key stars missing and ten of them completely ruled out for the tie, the manager’s selection pool for this fixture does look to be extremely limited. Vital players like Jonjo Shelvey, Jetro Willems and Emil Krafth have all been ruled out of contention.
Newcastle United 5-4-1 Predicted Lineup Vs Norwich City
Formation: 5-4-1
Defence
One of the few positive pieces of news for Newcastle United fans right now will be the apparent return to form showcased by shot-stopper Martin Dubravka, who is expected to keep his place between the sticks for this tie. In front of him, the injured Florian Lejeune is set to be replaced by Federico Fernandez in the first team. The familiar faces of DeAndre Yedlin and Matt Ritchie could take up the full-back roles, with Jamaal Lascelles and Ciaran Clark expected to operate as the other two centre-halves.
Midfield
Former Tottenham Hotspur man Nabil Bentaleb was acquired on a loan deal by the Magpies earlier in the week, and he could be in line for his first-ever league start for his new club against the Canaries. The midfielder played his first game against Oxford United in midweek, and despite some good individual moments, he wasn’t able to really impact the tie. He is expected to be partnered in the heart of midfield by Issac Hayden, while Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin will be tasked with providing the width.
Attack
Joelinton is sure to continue as the lone striker for this tie as the rest of the Newcastle attackers are all doubts to be available for selection. While Dwight Gayle and Yoshinori Muto are both ruled out, Andy Carroll could feature off the bench. The 23-year-old has scored just one goal in 24 league appearances so far this term, casting major doubt over his influence.
