Ahead of today’s clash between Newcastle and Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, it’s time to predict which 11 Eddie Howe will go with come 3pm.
Here’s the side we’re expecting him to select and why:
**Predicted XI:** _Pope – Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall – Tonali, Guimaraes, Willock – Gordon, Isak, Joelinton._
Starting with the obvious one, **Burn** is back from a one-game ban and will almost certainly replace Kelly, who had a bit of a disaster for both of West Ham’s goals on Monday.
However, it’s less obvious what Howe will do in midfield. Will he stick by Longstaff? Is Bruno fit to play? Could Tonali return to the side? Does Willock deserve another start after struggling before he picked up a knock on Monday?
Firstly, I think the fact Lewis Miley played for the U21s last night shows Bruno and Willock will be fit enough to start. Had they not been, Miley would not have played last night, as he’d have needed in the squad at Palace.
Personally, I think (and hope) we’ll see **Tonali** come in down the right, offering that extra bit of quality on a tight Selhurst Park pitch and that bit more pace to track Eze at the other end. There’s a time and a place for Longstaff, who often does the dirty work well, but the Italian has the quality and drive to hurt a struggling Palace side who may sit deep and look to counter.
In attack, we need more from Gordon – whether he’s on the left or right – and Barnes may have also missed his chance to force his way back into Howe’s XI after offering very little from the bench in midweek. As a result, I can see the same attack that started at Forest, with Joelinton and Willock combining down the left and Gordon down the right, knowing there’s flexibility for the pair to swap flanks.