Norwich City will look to recover from their tragic 4-1 opening day defeat to Liverpool as they host Newcastle United at the Carrow Road on Saturday. The Canaries will be keen on making a good impression in front of the home crowd. But, things could be tricky against a Newcastle side that defended rather well against Arsenal on Sunday.
Here is an early prediction of how Daniel Farke’s men could potentially line up against the Magpies this weekend.
Formation: Farke is likely to stick to his tried and tested 4-2-3-1 setup even though it failed miserably against the Reds.
Defence
Tim Krul will likely retain his place in goal ahead of Ralf Fahrmann despite conceding four goals against Liverpool. However, the Dutchman needs to come up with improved performances if he is to sustain his role as the number one choice in between the sticks.
Same can’t be said for Max Aarons, however, who is pretty much a guaranteed inclusion at right-back. The youngster will be looking to perform well against a sharp Newcastle attack. Another young defender in Jamal Lewis is set to occupy the opposite flank. Much like Aarons, he too will play a vital role on the flanks for the Canaries this weekend.
Timm Klose has been ruled out with a hip injury, which means Grant Hanley is set to continue alongside Ben Godfrey at the heart of Norwich’s four-man backline. Both of these defenders need to be sharp against the unpredictable presence of Joelinton.
Midfield
Farke isn’t expected to make too many changes in midfield either. In fact, it will likely remain the same, with Tom Trybull forming the double pivot alongside Kenny McLean. Ex-Dortmund boys Moritz Leitner and Mario Vrancic are the potential alternatives, should Farke need more spark and an element of surprise in the middle of the park.
Ibrahim Amadou, meanwhile, was lacking match fitness in the game against Liverpool. And his involvement in this fixture remains a doubt. Even if he returns to full fitness, the midfielder is likely to start on the bench. Marco Stiepermann, on the other hand, will retain his place as the lone attacking midfielder.
Attack
In attack, Patrick Roberts may once again have to watch from the bench, with Emiliano Buendia likely to retain his place at right-wing. The Argentine will provide the much-needed dynamism in the final third along with Todd Cantwell, who will appear on the opposite flank.
These two players will look to provide the necessary support for central striker Teemu Pukki. The Finnish international was the only goalscorer for Norwich in their 4-1 defeat to Liverpool. But, this time, he will look to make sure that his goal will actually count in his club’s favour.
