The team sheets are in ahead of what promises to be one of the biggest games in recent history at St James’ Park, as we take a 1-0 lead into tonight’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Southampton.
Here’s the side Eddie Howe has gone with ahead of the 8pm kick-off:
(4-3-3): Pope – Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn – Longstaff, Guimaraes, Willock – Almiron, Wilson, Joelinton.
Substitutes: : Darlow, Dummett, Lascelles, ASM, Ritchie, Lewis, Isak, Murphy, Anderson.
Callum Wilson keeps his place in Howe’s unchanged starting 11, with the Toon boss revealing on Monday that he’d trained well over the past week after stepping up his recovery from illness.
This means Alexander Isak is on the bench once again alongside Allan Saint-Maximin, as Joelinton keeps his place out wide and Joe Willock starts in midfield despite a couple of big misses last week.
Anthony Gordon is not eligible, but will be paraded on the pitch alongside new signing Harrison Ashby at some stage tonight.
HOWAY THE LADS.
