da aviator aposta： Newcastle suffered their first defeat in four games last time out and it could be a similar story if two key players don’t pass late fitness tests.
da premier bet： Steve Bruce is likely to set-up in his typical fashion regardless of whether Miguel Almiron and Jonjo Shelvey are available, and against a Crystal Palace side which has conceded just 19 goals in 17 games that could prove to be a problem.
It promises to be another tight encounter, like Newcastle’s trip to Burnley was last week, though on that occasion the Magpies failed to find the target with a single shot.
Without credible options to mix up the attack Bruce has a selection headache on his hands, and though Almiron hasn’t provided much in the way of goals and assists, Newcastle are a lot less threatening without him, as they lack the runs he makes in behind the defence.
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As a result, it is likely he will start even if he isn’t 100% fit, and it should be in place of Christian Atsu, as he made less of an impact against the Clarets than Joelinton did.
The Brazilian operated from the left last weekend and looked a lot more comfortable in possession, with 89% pass accuracy and two key passes, though he also would have had an assist but for Dwight Gayle’s shocking miss from yards out.
He deserves to keep his place, and if Shelvey is deemed fit enough then he should come in for Sean Longstaff, in one of three changes. He had a torrid time at Turf Moor with just 67% pass accuracy.
With that under consideration, this is how Bruce should line-up his side at St. James’ Park on Saturday.
The other notable change is DeAndre Yedlin coming in for Javier Manquillo, which may be a bit of a surprising call considering the Spaniard hasn’t done a great deal wrong to warrant dropping.
However, the USA international is better suited to dealing with the threat of Wilfried Zaha due to his physical attributes, as well as providing energy which could mean the Palace winger has to concentrate on his defensive duties too.
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Yedlin has been overlooked by Bruce for much of the season but 1.7 tackles per game suggest he has a good chance of dealing with Zaha.
Should he subdue the man who is the Eagles’ biggest threat then Bruce can expect to go into Christmas with more points on the table, as Roy Hodgson’s team have scored just 14 goals in 17 games, so are unlikely to be able to find a way through Newcastle’s back five.
As a result, it may only take one moment at the opposite end of the pitch for the Magpies to win the game, though without Almiron and Shelvey that task becomes a lot more challenging.
Meanwhile, Charlie Nicholas has predicted Newcastle to win the game, but his defence of Bruce may not be appreciated by some fans.