Newcastle United handed double boost vs Man Utd as ex-Chelsea and Leeds man praises ‘brilliant’ Magpies star

Newcastle United picked up their first win in the Premier League in almost two months as they beat Wolves 2-1 at St. James’ Park. Miguel Almiron’s winner was only his second goal since Boxing Day.

The victory has put them straight back in the mix for a top four spot, where they currently sit four points below Tottenham Hotspur with two games in hand. With a trip to Nottingham Forest coming up, the Magpies will be confident of another three points over a team hovering above the relegation zone.

Here are the latest headlines...

Newcastle Utd double boost

Newcastle United have been handed a major double boost ahead of their home clash with Manchester United in April. The Magpies will be desperate to get revenge after their Carabao Cup final defeat, while they could also narrow the gap between the two teams in the Premier League table.

The Red Devils will be without one of their key players in Casemiro after he was sent off in their 0-0 stalemate with Southampton at the weekend. The midfielder has been sensational for them this season and played a huge part in last month’s final at Wembley, however he won’t be able to feature for Erik ten Hag’s side until their trip to Nottingham Forest in a month.

Meanwhile, Newcastle will also welcome the return of Joelinton from his two-match ban. The Brazilian had picked up ten yellow cards this season and sat out of the win over Wolves and will also be absent for Friday’s clash with Forest. Joelinton could be vital to a potential win over Man Utd.

‘Brilliant’ Alexander Isak

Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has praised Alexander Isak after another impressive performance in the weekend’s win over Wolves. The Swede has struggled with injuries this season but has enjoyed his recent comeback, scoring the opener against Julen Lopetegui’s side.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Hasselbaink said: “He does (give them a different dimension). He’s a brilliant footballer and how he’s taken this goal, this is a goalscorer’s goal. You can see he’s comfortable with this chance, he’s in control.

“Technically this (the header) is top. Bang, Jose Sa has got absolutely no chance. All his game today was really sharp - running with the ball, running at defenders, making it very difficult for defenders getting behind them, and getting a yard so that he could shoot.

“He could have scored two goals today but there was a good block as well. He is giving them something different, he is different from Wilson. Wilson wants to be more on the end of things, he wants to play more of the combinations and also get on the end of things.”

Isak joined Newcastle for a club-record £63 million fee in the summer but has only made six starts in the top flight. He looks to be set for a strong end to the campaign, however his fitness remains in question after he was withdrawn with over 20 minutes remaining at the weekend.