Kieran Trippier’s injury means he will certainly miss Saturday’s clash in the capital whilst Javier Manquillo’s injury status is still not yet known, meaning the Spaniard may also miss the game against West Ham.
It wasn’t pretty at times on Sunday, however, victory made it three wins in a row for the Magpies and Howe yet again has to decide if he wants to freshen up a winning side, or trust the players that delivered victory against Villa.
A 4-3-3 formation seems to be working very well recently and it’s likely that, even with a couple of enforced changes needed, that this will be the system he opts for again at the weekend.
Here, we take a look at what side Howe might select for Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off against West Ham:
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9. RW: Ryan Fraser
Tireless energy on the right-hand-side makes Fraser a key component of Howe’s side. A blossoming relationship between him and Trippier had begun to develop and it will be interesting to see how he adapts to a new man playing behind him. Photo: Stu Forster
10. ST: Chris Wood
He may not have grabbed that elusive first goal for the Magpies, however, Wood’s general hold up play is a key part of how this Newcastle team play in attack. His workrate off the ball is also fantastic. Photo: George Wood
11. LW: Allan Saint-Maximin
Saint-Maximin had a quiet game against Villa compared with his sterling display against the Toffees, however, he did show flashes of brilliance and was still arguably Newcastle’s most potent threat. He will also have fond memories of this fixture after he put in a dominant display at the London Stadium in 2019, a game which Newcastle ran-out 3-2 victors. Photo: OLI SCARFF