This looks set to be the Newcastle team v Wolves | OneFootball

I have been looking at this Newcastle team v Wolves.

Yes, I know the match is still 11 days away, but I needed something to occupy my mind during this first of far toom many international breaks this season.

Sunday 15 September is when Eddie Howe and his players are back in action at Molineux.

In my opinion, I think we could well see a fair few surprises in what I see as the likely Newcastle team v Wolves, when we get back into action.

Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon have played ridiculous amounts of football these past 12 to 15 months, for club and country. Bruno in particular.

The pair of them also had far less preparation time than pretty much all the rest of the Newcastle United squad ahead of the season.

They are also two players with arguably the most difficult jobs in the team and expectations of them, in terms of providing the spark and impetus to take us up the pitch and into attacking situations.

I think the matches so far have reflected that to an extent, especially against Tottenham.

Bruno and Gordon weren’t poor but I don’t think they sparkled as they can and as we need.

Howe specifically said after Forest that Bruno Guimaraes was one in particular who he’d wanted to protect, but then Willock injured, Bruno on the pitch after only 15 minutes.

I wouldn’t be amazed to see a Newcastle team v Wolves something like this:

Pope, Trippier, Schar, Burn, Kelly, Tonali, Longstaff, Joelinton, Murphy, Isak, Barnes

That back four are all (now) non-internationals, as Schar and Trippier have retired out of playing for their countries and Eddie can work with them intensively throughout this international fortnight.

All the rest of them in that eleven are not on international duty either, apart from three.

Nick Pope is of course a goalkeeper, so unless injury strikes (please no!!!), he will of course play against Wolves.

Alexander Isak is away with Sweden but they play Thursday and Sunday, that second match is home to Estonia, so a flight back from Stockholm should see him back in the UK on Monday.

Meanwhile, Sandro Tonali will be itching to play as much football as possible and in contrast to too much football jading/fatiguing the likes of Bruno and Gordon, I think his time away and (almost certainly) playing for Italy will bring him right up towards full match fitness for when he returns to Tyneside.

Also, Italy play Friday and Monday, the second game ‘away’ to Israel is on neutral ground in Budapest, so the midfielder can be back in the UK on Tuesday, flying back from Hungary.

So that’s my reasoning on what I believe could be set to be a super ready prepared Newcastle team v Wolves, with the likes of Bruno, Gordon and others able to put in important shifts late on from the bench.

For what it’s worth as well, I think with Sandro Tonali now available, I think we will now see Eddie Howe willing and able to give Bruno Guimaraes the odd game off here and there, as it was far from ideal when Bruno was having to play pretty much every single game in every competition for NUFC last season.

Newcastle United schedule to end of October 2024:

Sunday 15 September 2024 – Wolves v Newcastle (4.30pm) Sky Sports

Saturday 21 September 2024 – Fulham v Newcastle (3pm)

Tuesday 24 September 2024 – AFC Wimbledon v Newcastle (7.45pm) Sky Sports+

Saturday 28 September 2024 – Newcastle v Man City (12.30 pm) TNT Sports

Saturday 5 October – Everton v Newcastle (5.30pm) Sky Sports