Newcastle United have been busy this January, and while they’ve made a couple of shrewd acquisitions, as of yet, they’ve got nothing to show for it.
Indeed, the arrivals of Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood have bolstered the Magpies’ squad, but, as ever, results on the pitch are the only thing that matters.
The Magpies remain in the relegation zone, but they’ve got a golden opportunity to escape the bottom three on Saturday as they face Watford.
The Hornets are in terrible form, and if the Tyneside club can get the better of Claudio Ranieri’s side, they will leapfrog them in the table.
With that in mind, we’ve had a go at predicting Newcastle’s starting XI for this one.
We think that Howe will make two changes from the side that started against Cambridge in the FA Cup.
Jamaal Lascelles returns to the back four as Emil Krafth makes way, while Kieran Trippier gets his first league start for his new club.
Joelinton’s midfield renaissance continues as he starts alongside Sean Longstaff and Jonjo Shelvey.
Meanwhile, Allan Saint-Maximin and Ryan Fraser start on the wings, while perhaps the biggest headline is the fact that Chris Wood makes his Newcastle debut up top.
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