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Alasdair Gold & Rob Guest

Davinson Sanchez starts, Danjuma decision - The Tottenham team Stellini must pick vs Newcastle

Tottenham travel to Newcastle United in a huge match in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon and Cristian Stellini could make some changes.

The match at St James' Park pitches fourth-placed Newcastle against fifth-placed Spurs with the two teams sitting three points apart with the hosts having a game in hand. After their disappointing defeat to Bournemouth, the north London side need to pick up some momentum for a tough week that brings the game against Eddie Howe's men, a home match against third-placed Manchester United and a trip to Anfield to face a Liverpool side just six points behind them currently with a game in hand.

We asked our Spurs correspondents Alasdair Gold and Rob Guest to name the starting XI they would like to see acting boss Stellini select for Sunday's match.

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Alasdair Gold - Tottenham Hotspur correspondent

Stellini needs to alter the dynamic within the Spurs team and he can do that by making a couple of changes within his starting XI.

He may be forced into one if the injury that forced Clement Lenglet off the pitch last weekend prevents him from being available this week. Stellini's options would then be either to play Davinson Sanchez, who was booed by his own fans last week, and switch Cristian Romero to the left again or put Japhet Tanganga over there, with the Spurs academy product more used to the role.

Up front, Arnaut Danjuma is a rarity in the Spurs squad that he has confidence after his goal last weekend on his home debut for the club, two and a half months after he joined.

Stellini could give the Netherlands international his first start, with Son Heung-min switching to the right with Dejan Kulusevski on the bench with Richarlison as attacking options to change the game.

Gold's team: Lloris; Romero, Dier, Tanganga; Porro, Hojbjerg, Skipp, Perisic; Son, Kane, Danjuma.

Rob Guest - Tottenham Hotspur reporter

Stellini ideally needs to change things about in terms of his Tottenham team after last Saturday's 3-2 defeat against Bournemouth. That will be easier said than done given the injury issues at present but the acting head coach needs to find a way of getting Spurs back on track at the start of a pivotal week.

Stellini faces a big call in the back three after Clement Lenglet limped off in last weekend's defeat and Davinson Sanchez was booed during his time on the pitch and in the end made way after only 23 minutes. Ben Davies, providing he is back from injury and in a position to start, should get the nod if fit, with Stellini to show a big show of faith in Sanchez on the right of the three if the Welshman remains out on the sidelines and the Colombian is in the right headspace to play.

As Oliver Skipp has partnered Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in every game since Rodrigo Bentancur sustained his season-ending injury at Leicester City, it may be time to refresh the midfield and give Pape Matar Sarr a start alongside the Dane. Up front, Arnaut Danjuma impressed off the bench against his former club and deserves a start in attack alongside Son Heung-min and Harry Kane.

Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski can then be options off the bench if required at St James' Park.

Guest's team: Lloris; Sanchez, Dier, Romero; Porro, Hojbjerg, Sarr, Perisic; Son, Kane, Danjuma.

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