Newcastle United appear to have turned a corner in recent weeks under manager Eddie Howe.
The Magpies responded to Brentford defeat by thumping Leicester City 4-0 at St James’ Park.
Newcastle knocked the Bees out of the Carabao Cup with a 3-1 success before thrashing Ipswich Town 4-0 at the weekend.
The Tyneside club will look to continue their momentum when they host Aston Villa in a tricky Premier League fixture.
Predicted Newcastle United XI vs Aston Villa
Martin Dubravka has kept two clean sheets in two games. With Nick Pope still sidelined through injury, the 35-year-old will operate between the sticks on Thursday.
Howe will be hesitant to make a change in defence, as Tino Livramento, Fabian Schar, Dan Burn and Lewis Hall were all impressive in their last outing.
However, the English boss is expected to drop Joe Willock after his underwhelming display against Ipswich. The 25-year-old, who joined the club in 2021 for £20 million, had just 17 touches, won zero duels and lost possession on four occasions.
While Joelinton will be available after serving a suspension, the injury he picked up against Brentford last week means his selection is doubtful.
We believe Sean Longstaff should replace Willock in the middle of the field. Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali are expected to keep their first-team berths.
Alexander Isak has been enjoying a rich vein of form, scoring six goals in his previous four league matches. The Sweden international will lead the attack against the Lions, with Anthony Gordon and Jacob Murphy operating as the wingers.
Predicted Newcastle United XI vs Aston Villa
Dubravka; Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall; Tonali, Guimaraes, Longstaff; Murphy, Isak, Gordon
Read more: Alan Shearer names Newcastle forward Jacob Murphy in his Team of the Week
Stats from Sofascore