Newcastle vs Manchester United – News and Probable Lineups

Manchester United travel to St James’ Park to take on Newcastle United this Wednesday evening, aiming to solidify their position in third place within the Premier League standings.

Meanwhile, the Magpies will be welcoming the Red Devils to the North-East, keen to improve from a dismal streak of five losses in their last six league matches.

Match overview

With an impressive tally of 19 points out of a possible 21 since January 17, Michael Carrick is enhancing his prospects of being appointed as the permanent manager of Manchester United.

Even though four of his six victories have been by a single goal, there are positives to note as his players have demonstrated maturity and unity in clinching several hard-fought wins during his brief period in charge.

Manchester United came from behind to secure a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday, benefiting from their opponents being reduced to ten men while leading.

Furthermore, with Bruno Fernandes contributing to his tally of seven goals and 13 assists in this Premier League season, Benjamin Sesko’s crucial header marked a total of seven goals in his last eight outings across all competitions.

Though Manchester United has the sixth-best away performance in the Premier League, it has been somewhat overlooked that they are currently on a five-match unbeaten streak (W2 D3) on the road.

However, Carrick will be well aware that Manchester United has not triumphed at St James’ Park since October 2020 and has faced defeat in their last three encounters on Tyneside.

Despite this, Newcastle are not performing optimally at St James’ Park, as evidenced by their 3-2 loss to Everton last Saturday.

Under Eddie Howe’s management, it is unusual for the Magpies to have lost three consecutive league matches at their North-East home, conceding a total of eight goals to Aston Villa, Brentford, and Everton.

Newcastle’s recent form has seen them drop to 13th place in the Premier League, now trailing seventh-placed Brentford by seven points with only ten games left to play.

Even with a Champions League double-header against Barcelona coming up later this month, Howe understands that failing to secure a top-seven finish by the season’s end could result in changes in the managerial position.

There are positives to draw from four victories in the last six matches across all competitions. However, it is noteworthy that two of these wins were against Azerbaijani side Qarabag FK, and the remaining were against a Villa team that played with ten men for over 45 minutes and a struggling Tottenham side.

Team News

Howe is likely to make several adjustments to his Newcastle starting XI, possibly reinstating Sven Botman to the defence in place of Dan Burn.

Following an illness during the Everton match, Jacob Ramsey may be omitted, while Howe faces a decision about moving Nick Woltemade from a deeper role to lead the attack.

Harvey Barnes may be included on the right wing, but players such as Tino Livramento, Lewis Miley, and Bruno Guimaraes will still be out due to injuries.

On the other side, Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire are uncertain for Manchester United. Carrick disclosed post-match against Palace that both players felt unwell, and Shaw also sustained a foot injury.

Noussair Mazraoui is ready to step in for Shaw if necessary. If Lisandro Martinez is not deemed fit after a calf injury, Ayden Heaven will be seen as a backup for Maguire.

Although Mason Mount might be available for the substitutes’ bench after missing five matches, the remainder of the squad could remain unchanged.

Newcastle United probable starting XI:

Pope; Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Hall; Willock, Tonali, Joelinton; Barnes, Woltemade, Gordon

Manchester United probable starting XI:

Lammens; Dalot, Yoro, Maguire, Mazraoui; Casemiro, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko

As Newcastle strives to break their streak of three consecutive Premier League defeats at St James’ Park, their recent performances provide little confidence that they can outmaneuver a progressive Manchester United squad. Considering this, it seems logical to expect Carrick’s men to secure yet another victory, likely by a narrow margin.