The teams are in ahead of today’s Tyne-Wear derby and the main news is that Gabriel Obertan is given his full debut for Newcastle and will start against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light at noon.
Newcastle’s team is otherwise unchanged from the one that drew 0-0 against Arsenal at St James’ Park on the opening day of the season, with fellow new signing Demba Ba dropping to the bench.
With Obertan coming in for Ba, Newcastle will switch from a 4-4-2 to a 4-5-1, the formation used in the second half last week. Cheik Tiote and Yohan Cabaye will sit in the middle of the park, with Joey Barton, Jonas Gutierrez and Obertan bombing on to support lone striker Shola Ameobi – can he be a derby day hero once again?
Here’s Newcastle’s line-up in full:
Krul; Simpson, S.Taylor, Coloccini, R.Taylor; Cabaye, Tiote; Barton, Gutierrez, Obertan; Ameobi
And the sub’s bench:
Steve Harper, Mike Williamson, Dan Gosling, Sylvain Marveaux, Peter Lovenkrands, Leon Best, Demba Ba
Sunderland are unchanged from the team that drew with Liverpool 1-1:
Mignolet; Bardsley, Ferdinand, Brown, Richardson; Elmohamady, Cattermole, Colback, Larsson; Sessegnon; Gyan.
Will those eleven players be able to get the job done for Newcastle today?
