Thoughts turn to this Newcastle team v Brighton.
What will Eddie Howe do?
This was the Newcastle team that started in the win over Nottingham Forest in the last match:
Pope, Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Burn, Bruno, Joelinton, Tonali, Gordon, Woltemade, Elanga
It was also the same eleven that started in the midweek victory over Union S-G.
I have no doubt that many Newcastle United fans would automatically say it is a no-brainer, keep the same eleven for a third match.
Two things to think about though.
Newcastle United have a massive Champions League match only three days after this Brighton one.
You also have to take into consideration just how much football some of our best players have played already this season, especially certain United players who also turn out for their countries.
For example, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes have started all four of their respective international matches these past five or six weeks, plus they have each started nine of Newcastle’s ten games so far this season.
Nick Woltemade hasn’t started as many games as Eddie Howe has tried to manage his minutes but reality is that he has now started five matches in a row for club and country. So is it the right thing to start him against both Brighton and Benfica?
Eddie Howe will of course have all the data that we don’t, as well as what the players themselves say, they will be tested on how they are physically after the latest internationals.
In the past, straight after an international break, Eddie Howe has often showed a tendency to look more to those who he has continued to work with during the international fortnight, when it comes to the first Premier League match afterwards.
With Benfica coming so soon after this Saturday’s match, I think we will see this tendency repeated when the NUFC boss picks his Newcastle team v Brighton.
Eddie Howe has had the big benefit of Pope, Thiaw, Botman and Trippier remaining on Tyneside and not on international duty. Dan Burn was an unused sub against Wales and only got the final 20 minutes in the late stroll against Latvia, so I would be amazed if those five didn’t all start at Brighton. Fabian Schar was also of course training as usual and is waiting for his chance to return to the starting eleven.
In the frontline, all of Barnes, Murphy and Osula also remained at the NUFC training ground, is it far-fetched to think that Eddie Howe will go with this trio at Brighton? I think every chance the two wingers could start and then much will depend on whether the Head Coach thinks he can start Nick Woltemade against Brighton and Benfica, or is it better bringing him off the bench at Brighton and start in the Champions League?
Anthony Elanga only played 45 minutes in Sweden’s two October internationals, in contrast it was a full match against Wales and then all but the final 20 minutes against Latvia for Anthony Gordon.
Eddie Howe made seven changes when Newcastle played away at Bournemouth only three days after Barcelona in the Champions League. This time the Premier League and Champions League are the other way around but still only a three day gap.
So long as Jacob Ramsey has had no setback during this fortnight, you have to think he will start at Brighton. Whilst Lewis Miley returned to Tyneside without playing for the England Under 21s with what was reported by the media as a minor injury and as a precautionary measure. Joe Willock remained on Tyneside and is of course another option Eddie Howe could use.
As for the first choice midfield, whilst Bruno and Tonali were so heavily involved in their internationals, Joelinton only played half an hour and so I think he is all but certain to start at Brighton. Along with Woltemade, it is Tonali and Bruno that are the key decisions for Eddie Howe, especially with Italian media suggesting Sandro Tonali possibly looked a bit fatigued in their most recent win, the 3-0 over Israel this week.
All things considered, I think the Newcastle team v Brighton could look something like this…
Pope, Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Burn, Bruno, Joelinton, Ramsey, Barnes, Murphy, Osula
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