Newcastle United will host Arsenal at St. James’ Park on Sunday and all eyes are on Steve Bruce to see who he decides to play on opening weekend.
Newcastle United will, once again, host a top six club at St. James’ Park to open their Premier League campaign when they face Arsenal on Sunday. The Magpies finished preseason in the best way possible with two consecutive victories and Steve Bruce gave us a preview of how he would like the team to play.
Newcastle United lined up in a 3-5-2 formation against West Ham, Preston North End, Hibernian and St. Etienne, so it is likely to see that trend continue against Arsenal. The key question is who should start against Arsenal on Sunday? Some players have solidified their roles on the team while others are now facing new internal competition.
Guaranteed Starters
Let’s face it, we all know that there are at least eight players who we know will be in the starting lineup against Arsenal and several opponents over the next few months. Here are your guaranteed starters for Sunday’s match:
- Goalkeeper: Martin Dubravka
- Defenders: Jamaal Lascelles (C) and Fabian Schar
- Midfielders: Sean Longstaff, Jonjo Shelvey, Isaac Hayden, Allan Saint-Maximin
- Strikers: Joelinton and Miguel Almiron
Weekend Decision
Steve Bruce will have a few difficult to decisions to make this weekend regarding who will start out wide. Matt Ritchie is the obvious choice down the right flank, however, he is still recovering from the hamstring injury he picked up against Hibernian. The injury does not seem serious, but Bruce said the Scottish international is doubtful for the season opener. As a result, Rolando Aarons will most likely get the nod out wide over Christian Atsu, who spent all of preseason recovering from an injury he picked up while playing for Ghana.
A major headache for Bruce will be deciding who plays on the opposite flank. The true battle will be between Javier Manquillo and Jetro Willems. DeAndre Yedlin has been training with the team after recovering from his knee surgery this summer, but his lack of match fitness rules him out. Fans are excited about Willems as he boasts plenty of pace and superior dribbling skills, however, Manquillo has been in good form during preseason. My guess would be that Manquillo will start on Sunday, but Willems will definitely get his chance over the next few weeks.