Matty Longstaff handed Premier League start, Allan Saint-Maximin and Ciaran Clark recalled
Matty Longstaff has been handed his Premier League debut.
Newcastle United take on Manchester United at St James’s Park this afternoon (4.30pm kick-off).
And 19-year-old Longstaff – who scored in Newcastle’s pre-season friendly win over Saint-Etienne – will line up alongside his elder brother Sean in midfield after impressing Steve Bruce in training.
Bruce was asked if Longstaff had a chance of starting before the game. United's head coach said: “Yes. He’s been in with a chance since I walked through the door. He comes into the equation with the problems we’ve got.”
Allan Saint-Maximin, Jetro Willems, Ciaran Clark and DeAndre Yedlin also come into the starting XI against Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s side, who are 11th in the league table. Fit-again Dwight Gayle is on the bench.
Bruce pledged a tactical change after last weekend’s 5-0 defeat to Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
“There’s no disputing that over the seven or eight games, we’ve been disappointing twice,” said Bruce, who is already under pressure from fans. “How do you put it right? Go to the training ground, go to work again and do hard work. You accept you can be beaten, but you’ve got to react.”
Newcastle are 19th in the Premier League and only a win would take the club out of the relegation zone.
NEWCASTLE UNITED: Dubravka; Yedlin, Schar, Lascelles, Clark, Willems; M Longstaff, S Longstaff; Saint-Maximin, Joelinton, Almiron. Subs: Darlow, Krafth, Dummett, Shelvey, Atsu, Gayle, Carroll.