Newcastle United will be hoping to avoid their fourth straight defeat when they return to action at St James' Park on Friday night. Wolves are the latest visitors to Tyneside, with Bruno Lage's side pushing for an unlikely European spot.
The Magpies took the lead in their last outing through a Fabian Schar free-kick, but collapsed after the interval in a 5-1 thrashing at Tottenham. Burnley's midweek victory over Everton has since cut United's cushion over the relegation zone to seven points.
Eddie Howe maintains his side remain locked in a battle for survival, and has called for a response for the first of three home fixtures which could see Newcastle take a giant step towards safety. The head coach has confirmed they will make a late call on Joe Willock's availability, who has been struggling with a slight knee problem in recent weeks.
Miguel Almiron will return to the fold following illness, while Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson remain unavailable. Here is how our ChronicleLive team feels Newcastle could lineup for their Friday night clash with Wolves.
Ciaran Kelly
The temptation is there to make sweeping changes, but I would give the bulk of these players the chance to respond after what happened in the second half against Spurs - particularly when there are not exactly a host of options in reserve. It is easy to forget Newcastle had made a steady enough start at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before things fell apart after the break.
However, it was not as if the players threw in the towel, as they have in similar situations in previous eras. It was more a case that they were too eager to try and get back into the game and left too many gaps. With that in mind, I would only make a couple of changes as Emil Krafth and Bruno Guimaraes come in in the hope that Sunday served as a wake-up call. Joe Willock has a slight knee issue so I would not risk the midfielder in this instance.
Ciaran's XI: Dubravka, Krafth, Burn, Schar, Targett; Shelvey, Joelinton, Guimaraes; Fraser, Wood, Saint-Maximin
Chris Knight
Perspective is needed in the wake of that horror second-half showing at Tottenham, and I'd show faith with the majority of the team given their displays for the majority of this calendar year. There are also a lack of genuine alternatives within the squad to justify a substantial overhaul.
Manquillo was among a host of poor performers in the capital, but I would stick with the Spaniard ahead of Emil Krafth. The same can be said for the rest of the defence, with Jamaal Lascelles again on the bench. I would not risk Willock if there is any doubt over his knee, which allows Guimaraes to come into the starting lineup. The attacking trio produced very little at Tottenham, but I would persevere with them and use Almiron and Murphy from the bench.
Chris' XI: Dubravka; Manquillo, Schar, Burn, Targett; Guimaraes, Joelinton, Shelvey; Fraser, Wood, Saint-Maximin
Stuart Jamieson
There will rightly be no panic in the Newcastle camp despite the heavy defeat to Spurs, but that doesn't mean some tweaks aren't needed. For one, Bruno Guimaraes needs to return to the starting line up after his international efforts restricted him to a bench role.
United need to get some players closer to Chris Wood, which is why I think a change in tactics could pay off. With Bruno and Joelinton as a midfield pair, I would include Miguel Almiron to play in the hole behind the Kiwi striker, with Saint-Maximin and Fraser in the wide roles. All three could rotate, of course, and may give Newcastle more of an attacking threat, especially with knock-downs and second-phase balls. At the back, while the collapse at Spurs was alarming, I would stick with the same defence, which means Javier Manquillo edging out Emil Krafth, and skipper Jamaal Lascelles on the bench.
Stuart's XI: Dubravka; Manquillo, Schar, Burn, Targett; Guimaraes, Joelinton; Fraser, Almiron, Saint-Maximin; Wood.
GET INVOLVED: Pick your Newcastle United side to take on Wolves
Lee Ryder
I think there's no doubt that changes are needed after the mauling at the hands of Spurs. And it's not like Eddie Howe hasn't got the players to step in and take on Wolves. Defensively, Newcastle were at their worst for a while so a few tweaks are required in my view. Stick with 4-3-3 but with Gayle, Guimaraes, and Krafth all coming into the side.
Lee's XI: Dubravka; Krafth, Schar, Burn, Targett; Joelinton, Guimaraes, Shelvey; Gayle, Wood, Saint-Maximin
Aaron Stokes
Despite the humbling defeat at Tottenham on Sunday, I don't think Eddie Howe will make too many changes to his side for the visit of Wolves this evening. The defence was too bad to believe at the weekend but the boss has been reluctant to change the pairing of Fabian Schar and Dan Burn at the back. Emil Krafth could easily come back into the fold.
Bruno Guimaraes must surely be in line to make his full St. James' Park debut after another decent cameo off the bench and an impressive international break with Brazil. It's likely we see the midfielder come in for Joe Willock, who is nursing a slight knock this week. Allan Saint-Maximin was back in from the outset last weekend and failed to fire. But the Frenchman needs to be used from the start tonight. Chris Wood also needs to find his scoring boots in what is a crucial game.
Aaron's XI: Dubravka; Krafth, Schar, Burn, Targett; Guimaraes, Shelvey, Joelinton; ASM, Fraser, Wood
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