In what is a crucial Tyne-Wear derby for Newcastle United, Eddie Howe could welcome an injured star back into his side earlier than expected.
Newcastle must be "mentally" ready to face Sunderland
There's no easy way to prepare for a local derby, but a 7-2 humiliation against Barcelona just days before is never exactly idea. Any confidence that Newcastle gained from their first leg draw was stamped out in ruthless fashion by the Spanish giants, who handed the Magpies a brutal reality check at the Nou Camp.
To go from that to facing Sunderland in the Tyne-Wear derby is a daunting task, to say the least, but Howe has called on his side to be "mentally ready" at St James' Park.
"Now it’s all about Sunderland, it’s not about what’s happened. It’s about learning from it and evolving and changing if we need to.
"It’s about the next game and making sure we’re mentally ready, physically ready for what’s going to be a huge game for us and for the whole city, so I think that’s quite a good game for us to go straight into because there’s no time for any other thought than that."
Of course, if Newcastle put that thrashing to one side, they should be able to reflect on what has been a positive few weeks. In an incredibly difficult run of games, they've defeated both Chelsea and Manchester United, whilst drawing with Barcelona at home.
There's plenty of room for optimism ahead of the derby and there should be a sense of revenge after defeat at the Stadium of Light earlier this season.
As for the squad itself, the Magpies have already been handed a handful of injury boosts. They're entering Sunday's clash and could welcome at least one star back from injury.
Howe gifted quadruple Newcastle injury boost
Ahead of the derby, Howe confirmed that Sandro Tonali could make a quicker than expected return to action after his injury against Barcelona did not prove to be as bad as first feared. The Italian limped off at the Nou Camp, but is now facing a late call to feature against the Black Cats.
That's not the only injury boost, either. The Newcastle boss also confirmed that he expects Bruno Guimaraes, Fabian Schar and Lewis Miley to return after the upcoming international break.
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He told reporters: "We will wait and see (on Tonali). It is maybe not as bad as first feared as he was coming off the pitch. We will see how he is today and then make a decision closer to the game.
"(Miley) will be after the internationals, hopefully after the break. Fingers crossed it will be the same with Bruno and also for Fab (Schär)."
Given that they're already without Guimaraes, Tonali's presence would be particularly important against Sunderland. There's a good reason why he's reportedly attracted interest from Arsenal as of late and the big stage is once again awaiting the midfielder.
Sandro-Tonali-Newcastle
If there's any way to express his loyalty to the Magpies, it would be by winning the midfield battle and securing revenge against Sunderland this weekend.