OPINION
Steve Bruce is predicted to name an unchanged starting line-up ahead of Newcastle United’s return to Premier League action in their clash against Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.
Matt Ritchie and Allan Saint-Maximin are among the players who are injured and are set to miss the showdown against league-leading Liverpool, so the chances are that Bruce will opt to field the same team that drew 1-1 with Watford before the international break started.
Martin Dubravka is predicted to start in goals behind a back-five of Emil Krafth, Fabian Schar, Jamaal Lascelles, Paul Dummett and Jetro Willems.
Isaac Hayden and Sean Longstaff are both likely to start in the midfield ahead of £70,000-a-week [Spotrac] Jonjo Shelvey, who could start on the bench for a third match in a row.
In the attack, Christian Atsu and Miguel Almiron are both predicted to start in support of centre-forward Joelinton.
Dubravka, Krafth, Schar and Almiron were the only Newcastle players who had international duties to attend to over the recent international break but due to injuries, and overall lack of strength in depth in Bruce’s squad, all four of them are likely to start at Anfield this weekend.
Newcastle have not won on Merseyside in the Premier League since Rob Lee and Andy Cole scored in a 2-0 win back in 1994.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have won four out of four matches this season and are going to take some stopping if the Magpies want to get anything out of their trip to Anfield.
