Predicted Newcastle team v Chelsea – Four changes

The Mag

·30 October 2024

Predicted Newcastle team v Chelsea – Four changes

Looking at the Newcastle team v Chelsea.

Eddie Howe and his players looking to bounce back from that defeat at Stamford Bridge.

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United could and probably should have picked up at least a draw, as they had the chances. Plus the winning goal saw a series of moments when at least two or three Newcastle players should have done better.

Only three days later the perfect opportunity for swift revenge AND a place in the quarter-finals.

So what can we expect the Newcastle team v Chelsea to be?

As a starting point, this was the Newcastle team v Chelsea at Stamford Bridge:

Pope, Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall, Joelinton, Bruno, Tonali, Barnes, Isak, Almiron

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

It appears to be Wilson, Lascelles, Trippier and Botman will continue to be unavailable. Then as they have also been missing from recent matchday squads (and two keepers named on the bench on Sunday), it would appear Dubravka and Targett are unavailable as well.

The NUFC Head Coach made clear that they are looking after Lewis Miley and unlikely the 18 year old would be considered to start tonight, though possibly may get minutes off the bench.

The big news of course was that Eddie Howe revealed that the scan showed no serious injury for Anthony Gordon’s groin issue. Howe saying they would see how Gordon got on in training on Tuesday before deciding on any potential involvement in this Chelsea cup match.

Anyway, my take on all of this, my best guesstimate of the Newcastle team v Chelsea is:

Pope, Livramento, Schar, Kelly, Hall, Joelinton, Bruno, Longstaff, Gordon, Isak, Willock

So that would make it four changes from the match at Stamford Bridge.

Kelly, Longstaff, Gordon and Willock, replacing Burn, Tonali, Barnes and Almiron.

Very difficult to say with any certainty what tonight’s starting eleven will be, however, I think for sure there will be some changes.

Eddie Howe though with significantly less potential alternatives than Enzo Maresca.

I think Nick Pope will start. However, a small part of me wouldn’t be surprised if Vlachodimos was given a chance in this cup match.

With the likes of Trippier, Lascelles, Botman and Targett all seemingly unavailable, it very much limits the pool of defensive options.

Assuming there are no other injury or fitness issues, I can’t see Eddie Howe changing his full-backs, especially Lewis Hall who was Newcastle’s best player on Sunday. Dan Burn had a knock on the ankle and Eddie Howe revealed he had missed at least one training session last week, so along with the fact that Lloyd Kelly is a bit quicker and looks more of a centre-back than full-back, I can see him starting tonight. I also think he looks comfortable on the ball when playing in the middle and if paired with Schar, could help United to control possession better when playing out from the back. I don’t completely rule out the possibility though of Krafth coming in for Schar in the middle.

Change(s) in midfield? My gutting feeling is that we will see at least one, with my money on Longstaff for Tonali to freshen it up. Plus, then giving the Italy international the chance to maybe have more of an impact off the bench later in the match.

Predicting this front three is fraught with difficulties.

My assumption is that Eddie Howe will leave it to Anthony Gordon to say whether he feels injury-wise he is ok to start. If that is a yes then I think he definitely plays.

Isak as well will surely start. However, a bit like that Vlachodimos thought, a very small part of me could see Gordon start through the middle and Isak introduced off the bench to come on and win this match, potentially.

Barnes has tended to be more productive off the bench this season, whilst Murphy and Almiron don’t convince starting. I think Joe Willock almost certainly starts and where Eddie Howe plays him could well depend on who else he wants to get in his starting eleven. It would be a perfect time for Joe Willock to find form once again, plus he has had joy against Chelsea in the past.

Considering how poor Chelsea were on Sunday at playing it out from the keeper and from the back generally, my belief is that we will definitely see Eddie Howe having his team press as high as possible. Which definitely lends itself to the likes of Longstaff and Willock starting, as they were so key to the success of the United high press back in the 2022/23 season.

Newcastle United upcoming matches confirmed to end of January 2025:

Wednesday 30 October – Newcastle v Chelsea (7.45pm) Sky Sports+

Saturday 2 November – Newcastle v Arsenal (12.30pm) TNT Sports

Sunday 10 November – Forest v Newcastle (2pm) Sky Sports

Monday 25 November – Newcastle v West Ham (8pm) Sky Sports

Saturday 30 November – Crystal Palace v Newcastle

Wednesday 4 December – Newcastle v Liverpool (7.30pm) Amazon

Saturday 7 December – Brentford v Newcastle (3pm)

Saturday 14 December – Newcastle v Leicester (3pm)

Saturday 21 December – Ipswich v Newcastle (3pm)

Thursday 26 December – Newcastle v Villa (3pm) Amazon

Monday 30 December – Man U v Newcastle (8pm) Sky Sports