Newcastle have been able to name a relatively strong side for Gameweek 12 after a surge of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases at their training ground.
That saw their Gameweek 11 trip to Aston Villa postponed and called today’s encounter into question too.
Despite Steve Bruce’s midweek revelations that he was short on personnel, owners of Callum Wilson (£6.6m), Jamal Lewis (£4.3m) and Karl Darlow (£5.0m) can breath a sigh of relief.
They all start the Saturday afternoon meeting with West Bromwich Albion in a 4-4-2 formation.
Wilson is paired with Joelinton (£5.7m) in the front-two, with whom he shared a profitable partnership in a 2-0 win at Crystal Palace in Gameweek 10.
Matt Ritchie (£4.9m) and Miguel Almirón (£5.6m) staff the flanks while Bruce has been forced to compromise most in the defence.
Lewis and Emil Krafth (£4.3m) are at left and right-back respectively but midfielder Isaac Hayden (£4.8m) drops in at centre-back alongside Ciaran Clark (£4.5m).
Allan Saint-Maximin (£5.2m), Federico Fernández (£4.8m), Jamaal Lascelles (£4.3m), Fabian Schär (£4.9m) and Javier Manquillo (£4.4m) are all absent for Newcastle today although the club is yet to confirm which of these are because of self-isolation.
West Bromwich Albion look to be matching Newcastle’s formation with a 4-4-2 of their own featuring Callum Robinson (£5.5m) and Karlan Grant (£5.9m) up-front.
Newcastle United XI (4-4-2): Darlow; Lewis, Clark, Hayden, Krafth; Ritchie, S Longstaff, Shelvey, Almirón; Joelinton, Wilson.
West Bromwich Albion XI (4-4-2): Johnstone; O’Shea, Ivanovic, Ajayi, Furlong; Krovinovic, Sawyers, Gallagher, M Phillips; Robinson, Grant.
Lessons learned from FPL Gameweek 12
- Leeds United 1-2 West Ham United
- Wolves 0-1 Aston Villa
- Newcastle United 2-1 West Bromwich Albion
- Manchester United 0-0 Manchester City
- Everton 1-0 Chelsea
- Southampton 3-0 Sheffield United
- Crystal Palace 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur
- Fulham 1-1 Liverpool
- Arsenal 0-1 Burnley
- Leicester City 3-0 Brighton and Hove Albion
