Eddie Howe is expected to make changes to his Newcastle United starting XI for the Carabao Cup clash against Crystal Palace, with a number of players on the fringes of the first-team of late coming into contention.
Players such as Allan Saint-Maximin, Jonjo Shelvey, Chris Wood and Elliot Anderson could be handed opportunities after coming on as substitutes during Sunday’s 4-1 win at Southampton. The likes of Jamaal Lascelles, Matt Targett and Ryan Fraser are also pushing for some game time.
With United rising to third in the Premier League table via four straight wins and a nine-game unbeaten, Howe has been reluctant to rotate his starting line-up in recent weeks but admits that is likely to change versus Palace.
“We’ve got a combination of a few situations,” Howe explained. “We’ve got a lot of players that are eager to play and show their qualities.
“We do have a number of games this week - a very tight turnaround of three games in six days - so we’ll try and make the right call for the team while acknowledging that we are desperate to progress in the cup. I’ve got to make those choices and get the balance of the team right.”
Here’s how NewcastleWorld are predicting the Magpies to line-up as they look to progress to the last 16 of the competition.
1. GK: Karl Darlow (in for Nick Pope)
Darlow, who played in the previous round at Tranmere Rovers, has recently recovered from an ankle injury.
2. RB: Javier Manquillo (in for Kieran Trippier)
Made his first appearance of the campaign after coming on a substitute against Southampton/
3. CB: Jamaal Lascelles (in for Fabian Schar)
United’s skipper has started just two games this season, both of which have came on Merseyside at Tranmere and Liverpool.
4. CB: Dan Burn
The only player to survive wholesale changes, switching from left-back to his favoured centre-back position.