Predicted Newcastle team v Crystal Palace | OneFootball

Looking at this Newcastle team v Crystal Palace.

Eddie Howe and his players knowing a victory will ensure they stay sixth.

Staying above Man U who are at home to Sheffield United tonight, whilst Newcastle United would move six points clear of Chelsea who were hammered 5-0 on Tuesday night at Arsenal.

As a starting point, this was the Newcastle team v Tottenam:

Dubravka, J Murphy, Krafth, Schar, Burn, Longstaff, Bruno, Anderson, Gordon, Barnes, Isak

Eddie Howe gave an injury and availability update on Tuesday morning.

The NUFC Head Coach said that both Willock and Miley wouldn’t be playing again this season, that they would be looked after to try and ensure they were fully fit and ready for the start of next season.

However, better news on Almiron, Joelinton, Pope and Trippier. Eddie Howe saying that none of the four would be available tonight and indeed aren’t back in full training yet, though he is hoping that all of the quartet will play again before this season ends.

The one really positive piece of news saw Eddie Howe report that Callum Wilson is back in full training and has been looking really good, he is hoping the striker can now ‘hit the ground running’ on his return, with Wilson set to be involved in tonight’s matchday squad.

So for this Crystal Palace match, it appears to point to the players who were available for the Tottenham hammering, plus Callum Wilson

Anyway, my take on all of this after the above, my best guesstimate of Newcastle team v Crystal Palace…

Dubravka, Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall, Longstaff, Bruno, Anderson, Gordon, Murphy, Isak

So that would be two changes from the Tottenham match.

With Livramento and Hall coming in for Krafth and Barnes.

Both Livramento and Hall were in the matchday squad for that Tottenham game, however, neither could be considered to start and only made the bench. Livramento just having come back from injury, whilst a knock at Fulham had meant Hall hadn’t been able to train through the week leading up to that hammering of Spurs.

The universal belief of course is that the two defenders will now be feeling the benefits of this 11 day gap between matches and both now hoping for a first team place.

For that Tottenham match, the brilliance of Eddie Howe showed yet again. Due to so many players missing, especially in defence, he was forced to field a very different formation. With Krafth, Schar and Burn as the three main defenders, with then the likes of Murphy doing a great job as well in an unorthodox right back / right wing back role. Anderson doing something similar on the left.

Krafth did a great job but now with Livramento fully fit, I think a no-brainer that Tino comes in.

Same with Hall on the other side if Eddie Howe is reverting to a back four, which is surely going to be the case. The loan man shortly set to be permanent signing has impressed recently and will get another chance to do so tonight.

Harvey Barnes is another to impress recently but I see him an unlucky casualty of this shift in formation and personnel.

My thinking is that Gordon will move back to the left and Murphy will be asked to play his more usual right sided attacking role.

However, all of this very much part of an overall match plan, that will for sure see Barnes brought on in the second half for added threat, to help see out a win, or try to help get Newcastle into a winning position. Whilst I am sure that Howe’s hope is that Newcastle United can get into a comfortable winning position, to then allow Callum Wilson a less pressurised return from the bench after his injury absence. Plus of course at the same time, Wilson also available to come on, if Newcastle needing a goal or more to get into a winning position.

Palace’s last two performances and wins have pointed to this now maybe becoming one of the most tricky remaining games of the season, however, if Newcastle United can reproduce a similar attacking AND defensive performance to what they managed against Tottenham, then NUFC will get another win in my opinion.

Wednesday 24 April 2024 – Crystal Palace v Newcastle (8pm)

Saturday 27 April 2024 – Newcastle v Sheff Utd (3pm)

Saturday 4 May 2024 – Burnley v Newcastle (3pm)

Saturday 11 May 2024 – Newcastle v Brighton (3pm)

Wednesday 15 May 2024 – Man U v Newcastle (8pm) Sky Sports

Sunday 19 May 2024 – Brentford v Newcastle (4pm)

(The final day of the season live TV matches will be selected closer to the day but all 10 PL games will be same time same day)

Wednesday 22 May 2024 – Tottenham v Newcastle (at MCG – Melbourne Cricket Ground)