Newcastle United handed £27m fitness boost at Nottingham Forest as 'reliable' star drops out

Jacob Murphy is back after a two-game absence with a hamstring issue while Matt Targett is included in a matchday squad for the first time since August after suffering an eczema flare-up. Targett hasn’t played for Newcastle’s first-team in over a year due to various fitness issues, including hamstring and Achilles problems.

The 29-year-old played 45 minutes for Newcastle’s Under-21s back in August before suffering in eczema. His last first team appearance for the club came in a 3-0 Carabao Cup win at Manchester United last November as he picked up a hamstring injury in the opening minutes of the game.

Both players returned on the bench as Eddie Howe named an unchanged starting line-up with the hope of his side picking up a third straight win in all competitions for the first time in 2024. Alex Murphy and Emil Krafth - described as ‘so reliable’ by Howe - dropped out of the matchday squad as a result.

Nick Pope is in goal with a back four of Tino Livramento, Fabian Schar, Dan Burn and Lewis Hall.

Joe Willock, who scored in Newcastle’s Carabao Cup success against Forest back in August, starts his second successive Premier League match for the first time this season alongside Sean Longstaff and Bruno Guimaraes captaining the side in midfield. Guimaraes scored twice in The Magpies’ 3-2 win at the City Ground in the Premier League last season.

Joelinton remains on the left wing with Anthony Gordon on the right and Alexander Isak through the middle.

Chris Wood starts up front for Forest against his former club while Elliot Anderson remains on the bench. The hosts have also named an unchanged starting line-up as they aye a fourth straight league win.

NUFC XI: Pope; Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall; Longstaff, Guimaraes, Willock; Gordon, Joelinton, Isak

NUFC subs: Dubravka, Tonali, Barnes, Targett, Osula, J.Murphy, Almiron, Kelly, Miley