Newcastle host Brighton on Saturday, aiming to make it eight league games unbeaten against a side that they have never beaten in the Premier League.
Their previous nine games have ended in four defeats with the points shared on five occasions.
Newcastle’s recent form means that Eddie Howe once again has some major selection headaches, namely involving Bruno Guimaraes and Allan Saint-Maximin.
Every member of the starting side that featured against Brentford could feel very hard done by if they were to miss the game against Brighton, however, with the prospect of three games in one week to come, there may be a fair bit of rotation from Howe in order to manage his squad through the tough period.
Here, we predict Eddie Howe’s starting XI for the game against Brighton.
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5. LB: Matt Targett
Targett’s addition to the Newcastle defence has been a masterstroke as the on-loan Villa man has slotted seamlessly into the back four. His work defensively and offensively has been fantastic in his three appearances so far for United. Photo: Luke Walker
6. CM: Bruno Guimaraes
There’s little reason to drop any of the three midfielders, however, Newcastle face the potential of five games in the space of two weeks and some rotation will be needed. With a home crowd behind him, this could be the ideal time to blood the Brazilian into the team from the off. Photo: Luke Walker
7. CM: Jonjo Shelvey
Due to the need to rotate bodies, Shelvey will likely miss one, if not more, of their upcoming matches. However, for this particular match, Shelvey’s creativity will be indispensable to Newcastle and with trickier fixtures to come, it could be the game that Newcastle target to go all out for three points. Photo: Luke Walker
8. CM: Joelinton
One man who seemingly never needs a rest is Joelinton. He put in yet another tireless performance against Brentford, a display that he deservedly capped with his second goal of the season. Photo: Luke Walker