Newcastle United are preparing for arguably their most important Premier League fixture of the season when they host Brighton on Thursday night. Liverpool's late charge has heaped pressure on the Magpies and Manchester United, although both sides know their Champions League destiny remains in their own hands.
Eddie Howe's side need two wins to mathematically guarantee a top-four spot, with the St James' Park clash with the Seagulls quickly followed by another home assignment against Leicester City. Newcastle finish the season with a visit to struggling Chelsea, knowing the top-four race could go to the wire if Liverpool pick up an eight straight win when they face Aston Villa on Saturday.
Howe made just one change for the incident-packed draw at Leeds United in the team's last outing, with Miguel Almiron earning a recall. The Newcastle boss is facing a number of selection calls once again, and here is a review of all of the injury doubts and the players already ruled out.
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Emil Krafth
The Sweden international has not featured in black-and-white since suffering a serious knee injury in the Carabao Cup second-round win at Tranmere Rovers in August. Krafth has been included in the 25-man Premier League squad, but is not expected to make a comeback before the end of the season.
Jamaal Lascelles
The Newcastle captain is another who is not expected to feature in the final three matches of the campaign. Lascelles picked up a calf issue in a gym session last month, with the injury expected to keep him sidelined for five to six weeks.
Sean Longstaff
Longstaff has missed the last three matches after picking up a foot injury in the comfortable victory at Everton last month, and Howe has confirmed the midfielder will not feature against Brighton. The Magpies will be hoping the 25-year-old is able to feature in the final week of the season, given their limited midfield options in his absence.
Jacob Murphy
The winger dropped down to the bench for the trip to Elland Road due to a 'sore groin', with Almiron taking his place. Howe confirmed in his latest pre-match press conference that Murphy remains a 'doubt' to feature against Brighton.
Matt Ritchie
The veteran midfielder has been ruled out for the season due to a knee injury. The 33-year-old is set to become a free agent in the summer, although Howe has outlined his desire for Ritchie to extend his stay on Tyneside into an eighth season.
