Following a morale-boosting win over Manchester United, Newcastle United will travel to Dean Court to face AFC Bournemouth this weekend as they look to steer clear of the relegation zone.
The Magpies pulled off the upset of the month when they registered a hugely impressive 1:0 win over second-placed Manchester United. Rafa Benitez’s men are currently sitting 13th in the Premier League table and will feel confident of their chances of beating Bournemouth this weekend.
Bournemouth, on the other hand, have been impressive in 2018, beating the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Stoke City to work their way into the top half of the Premier League table and are leading their weekend opponents by three points, prior to this matchday, which will make this tie all the more exciting.
Here’s the predicted Newcastle United lineup to feature against the Cherries this weekend.
Defence
Martin Dubravka, who played in goal for Newcastle in their win over Manchester United last week, is set to remain in goal for the Magpies this weekend. The Slovakian arrived on loan from Sparta Prague earlier this year and will be eager to kickstart his Premier League career right away.
Head coach Rafael Benitez is not expected to make any kind of changes in his defensive combination which he used against Manchester United. Therefore, DeAndre Yedlin and Paul Dummett will remain as the fullbacks for the Magpies while the central defensive pairing will consist of Florian Lejeune and Jamaal Lascelles.
Lascelles, in particular, will be a key cog in defence, as Newcastle look to keep out the dangerous attacking setup of Bournemouth.
Midfield
There will be no changes in the midfield either from the side that started against Manchester United, meaning the duo of Mohamed Diame and Jonjo Shelvey will start at the centre of the park.
The presence of the former Liverpool midfielder, Jonjo Shelvey will be a boon for head coach Rafa Benitez. The English midfielder has the tenacity and fighting spirit to prevail against the dynamic Bournemouth side.
Elsewhere, Matt Richie is expected to start as the right midfielder while Kenedy, who is on loan from Chelsea, will start from the left. Both of the players will play an important role out wide this weekend. Their pace and dynamism will definitely hand Newcastle an advantage in the final third.
Attack
In the attack, Ayoze Perez will start just behind the main striker Dwight Gayle, who will be deputizing for the injured Islam Slimani.
