Nick Pope returns to the Magpies' starting side at St James' Park, replacing Aaron Ramsdale, who played in Wednesday night's Carabao Cup defeat at Manchester City.
Howe lined up his side with a back five at the Etihad, but he reverts to a back four this afternoon with Dan Burn dropping down to the bench.
Bruno Guimaraes returns after injury, and forms part of a midfield three that also features Sandro Tonali and Joe Willock.
Jacob Murphy is preferred to Anthony Elanga on the right-hand side, with Harvey Barnes starting in the absence of the injured Anthony Gordon on the opposite flank.
Yoane Wissa will lead the line for the Magpies against the club that sold him in the summer, with Nick Woltemade dropping down to the bench.
NEWCASTLE (4-3-3): Pope; Trippier, Thiaw, Schar, Hall; Guimaraes, Tonali, Willock; J Murphy, Wissa, Barnes.
Subs: Ramsdale, Osula, Elanga, Woltemade, Burn, A Murphy, Ramsey, Shahar, Neave.
BRENTFORD (4-3-3): Kelleher; Kayode, van den Berg, Ajer, Henry; Henderson, Jensen, Janelt; Ouattara, Thiago, Lewis-Potter.
Subs: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Pinnock, Nelson, Yarmoliuk, Collins, Damsgaard, Donovan, Furo.