Newcastle United confirmed XI v Brentford: Sandro Tonali U-turn as midfielder drops out of matchday squad

Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon have dropped to the bench in place of Sean Longstaff and Harvey Barnes. Ahead of the match, Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe said both players were feeling the effects of Wednesday night’s draw.

Kieran Trippier returns to the bench after missing the Liverpool match due to ‘illness’. Joe Willock has dropped out of the matchday squad though no official explanation has been given for the midfielder’s absence.

Gordon scored in midweek against Liverpool while Tonali has impressed in the last two games in the No. 6 role.

Ahead of the match, Howe said: “So before changing the dynamic of that role for Bruno which, if you look at the best 6s in the Premier League, Bruno would absolutely be right up there for me and he's the fulcrum of the team so if you change that dynamic there's benefits of course if a player has different qualities but there's a knock-on effect the other way.

“I felt it was time to change and it doesn't mean that position has changed because against Liverpool there was a lot of rotation, a lot of utilising players in different positions so a different kind of structure for us.

“[Tonali] has done really well in the last two games, I’ve been absolutely delighted with his performances. Most importantly for me there has been a good dynamic in midfield, I think that’s been really pleasing to see.

“It’s not about the individual player, it’s about bringing players together and how that affects the team. The Chelsea game in the cup, he did really well then. His Nottingham Forest performance off the bench, I thought he was a game-changer there. I think he’s performed really well in recent weeks.”

Newcastle United v Brentford: Pope; Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall; Guimaraes, Longstaff, Joelinton; Murphy, Barnes, Isak

Subs: Dubravka, Trippier, Tonali, Wilson, Gordon, Targett, Osula, Almiron, Kelly