Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe's reveals 'surprise' at James Maddison and Harvey Barnes decision

Eddie Howe has revealed his "surprise" after James Maddison and Harvey Barnes were left out of Leicester City's starting XI.

Maddison, a target for Newcastle United last summer, has been named on the bench for tonight's game at St James' Park along with Barnes, who has also been linked with the club.

United head coach Howe told Sky Sports: "Yeah, maybe a little surprised. You have to be prepared for changes in the Premier League.

"It's always slight tweaks. We have played against different systems all season so we know what we're doing."

Leicester manager Dean Smith said he wanted to make his relegation-threatened team "harder to beat".

"We decided to change it," said Smith. "We need to be harder to beat. The last couple of games, we have needed lots of goals to win them, so we needed to make a change. We picked a team we feel can compete.

"I had to think long and hard about it. Watching the game against Brighton (won 4-1 by Newcastle), the first two goals are from set-pieces, and I wanted another centre-back in the team.

"They were professional about it. I want them to be disappointed if they're not playing, but they see the bigger picture, and understand why."