Newcastle United are aiming to continue their excellent run of form as they take on Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday. After a spending spree in January, the Magpies are seemingly heading in the right direction, having secured four wins in their last five encounters. With 25 points already on the board, NUFC only need a few more wins to firmly secure their top-flight status next season.
Predicted Newcastle United Lineup vs Brighton
Defence
Eddie Howe is missing out on the services of some of the key defensive players including influential fullback Kieran Trippier. Emil Krafth has been his replacement at right-back so far and will continue to fill the void this weekend.
Matt Targett, on the other hand, remains a guaranteed starter on the opposite flank. With Trippier absent, the onus will be on the former Aston Villa star to provide the width going forward.
In central defence, Dan Burn and Fabian Schar are set to maintain their partnership, with Jamaal Lascelles once again set for a bench role whereas Ciaran Clark is out injured.
Meanwhile, in goal, there is no looking past Martin Dubravka, whose influence could be critical as Newcastle United look to retain another clean sheet.
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Midfield
Eddie Howe has no reasons to tinker with his midfield three of Joelinton, Jonjo Shelvey and Joe Willock. The three midfielders have complimented each other extremely well so far and offer the much-needed variety in the middle of the park.
Sean Longstaff and January signing Bruno Guimaraes are potential alternatives, should Howe look for more freshness in the second line of press, while Isaac Hayden remains unavailable.
Attack
Things get a bit more interesting in the attacking department, with Newcastle United sweating on the future of Allan Saint-Maximin. The Frenchman is closing in on his return, but it remains to be seen whether he will be fit enough to start against Brighton.
Given how well Ryan Fraser has played in his absence, Howe might look to stick to the offensive trifecta of him, Jacob Murphy and Chris Wood. There is no shortage of alternatives, although the absence of Callum Wilson has hurt the team badly, especially in the goalscoring sector.
