Predicted Newcastle starting XI v Rotherham: Mitrovic to start?

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Newcastle take on Rotherham United, having moved up to third with their 4-3 win over Norwich.

After an incredible injury-time turnaround against Norwich City, Newcastle United take on bottom of the league Rotherham United this weekend in their final game before another international break.

Dwight Gayle scored a hat-trick in the 4-3 win over the Canaries, and the introduction of Aleksandar Mitrovic was too much for the Norwich defence to handle, with the Serbian causing problems throughout his cameo off the bench.

With the league’s best attack facing off against its worst defence, how will Newcastle line up at the New York Stadium?

Karl Darlow came in for Matz Sels in goal in midweek, and should keep his place between the sticks.

DeAndre Yedlin has had an incredible start to his career on Tyneside, and even the returning Vurnon Anita shouldn’t be able to move the American out of the starting line-up. Anita could still return to the Newcastle team, but he could play on the left side of defence in place of Paul Dummett.

Newcastle fans are running out of patience with Dummett, and the 24-year-old could be replaced by the versatile Dutchman, though another option is summer signing Achraf Lazaar. Ciaran Clark and Jamaal Lascelles should be able to continue their blossoming partnership at centre-back.

Benitez will probably only make one change to his midfield, with Isaac Hayden coming back into the team in place of Jack Colback, with the latter replacing Hayden for the game against Norwich. Colback did not take his chance, picking up a silly booking early on, meaning he had to restrain himself from making any more challenges. Jonjo Shelvey was instrumental in Newcastle’s midweek comeback, and will look to dominate another midfield battle.

Mo Diame put in another below-par performance against Norwich, and although he is more suited to playing away from home, Benitez may see the game against a fragile Rotherham side as the ideal chance to go with two out-and-out strikers.

This could mean that we will see Gayle and Mitrovic start alongside each other for the first time this season, and we got a glimpse of how the two could work together in the final seconds against Norwich when the Serbian’s knock-down found Gayle, who completed his hat-trick with a low strike into the corner.