Newcastle United are back in Premier League action this afternoon and looking for their first home win since mid December, with Wolves the opponents in today’s 3pm kick-off.
Here’s the side we’re expecting Eddie Howe to go with and why:
Predicted XI: Dubravka – Trippier, Schar, Botman, Livramento – Longstaff, Guimaraes, Willock – Almiron, Isak, Gordon.
I think we’ll see three changes from Tuesday night’s FA Cup win at Blackburn, seeing Sven Botman, Tino Livramento and Miguel Almiron replace Jamaal Lascelles, Dan Burn and Jacob Murphy.
Botman will hopefully be all the better for his rest in midweek and it feels like the sensible time to play Livramento at left-back after Burn has been torn to shreds by Elanga, Ogbene and Semenyo in three of our last four home games.
It must be said that Tino didn’t really take his chance at Arsenal last weekend and Burn did OK defensively against Blackburn, but we’d be asking for trouble if the Geordie giant was tasked with stopping Wolves’ Pedro Neto; one of the most direct and deadly dribblers in the Premier League who carries the ball at real speed and thrives on the break.
I’m hoping Joe Willock will be able to start again and think he will. He offers our one-paced midfield something totally different. Personally, I feel Miley deserves to come back in at Longstaff’s expense, but the latter is likely to keep his place on the right side of our midfield three.
In attack, Murphy and Barnes failed to impress at Blackburn while Miggy made a real impact from the bench, so I can see him returning on the right, alongside a fit-again Alexander Isak and player of the season Anthony Gordon.
