06:38
Callum Wilson didn’t make it. Newcastle had hoped the striker would recover from his hamstring injury but he hasn’t even made the bench. He is one of four changes in the team that lost 2-0 in Southampton. Fabian Schar, Jeff Hendrick and Miguel Almiron fell on the bench. Ciaran Clark, Javi Manquillo, Isaac Hayden and Joelinton are the men who take their place.
Chelsea is in If It Ain’t Broke mode. Just one change in the team that Sheffield United easily defeated: Antonio Rüdiger replaces Thiago Silva, who is rested after his international appearance in Brazil.
06:32
The teams
Newcastle United: Darlow, Manquillo, Fernandez, Lascelles, Clark, Lewis, Murphy, Hayden, Sean Longstaff, Saint-Maximin, Joelinton.
Subs: Schar, Carroll, Shelvey, Hendrick, Krafth, Almiron, Gillespie.
Chelsea: Mendy, James, Zouma, Rüdiger, Chilwell, Kovacic, Kante, Berg, Ziyech, Abraham, Werner.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Christensen, Jorginho, Giroud, Hudson-Odoi, Azpilicueta, Emerson Palmieri.
Referee: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire).
06:04
preamble
The international break came at the wrong time for Chelsea, who finally began to click under Frank Lampard. They would certainly have kept playing if they had the chance to win their last four games by a total of 13-1. Timo Werner has scored five goals in his last four games; Hakim Ziyech worked his way into a groove; Edouard Mendy and Thiago Silva took care of the chaos on the back in a short time. You would have liked to continue.
They could easily pick up where they left off. Today’s opponents Newcastle United have already suffered some heavy home defeats this season: 0-3 against Brighton and 1-4 against Manchester United. Another three-goal shellacking could be in sight if Newcastle play as they do in these games and Chelsea create the sheer number of chances they had against Sheffield United.
But football is not always a rational business. Chelsea don’t particularly enjoy coming to Tyneside. They have lost on five of their last seven visits, the most recent being a last-minute smash-and-grave by Isaac Hayden in January. They lost that game 3 0-3 three seasons ago. These things shouldn’t matter, but so often. On top of that, Newcastle can enjoy the boost of welcoming ailing Callum Wilson, who has scored six goals and scored one of Toon’s ten league goals this season.
Both teams will gauge their chances in their own cute way. This is wonderfully prepared, a nice return to the Premier League after a two week break. Newcastle can jump to seventh place if they prevail at lunchtime. Chelsea can go up. It’s on!
Kicking off: 12.30 p.m. GMT.
Updated
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