Newcastle United head coach Matthias Jaissle made four changes to his starting line-up for the Premier League match against Fulham at Craven Cottage, with three returning players named among the substitutes.
Lewis Miley, Matias Fernandez-Pardo and Tino Livramento were all included in the squad for the must-win clash in the capital. Fernandez-Pardo has not trained since mid-October after recovering from a long virus, while Miley has overcome a glutes issue. Livramento returned from a knee injury for the first time since the 4-1 defeat against Leeds United in September.
Returning Trio on the Bench
Fernandez-Pardo last featured during the 1-0 loss to Aston Villa and has opted out of the Belgium squad for this month's UEFA Nations League games. Miley has also been absent since that narrow defeat to Unai Emery's men. Despite their availability, none of the returning trio started against Fulham, with all three named on the bench.
Jaissle brought Malick Thiaw back into the heart of defence, while Sean Steur got the start alongside Nico Gonzalez. Yoane Wissa was named as the number 10 behind William Osula, with Jacob Murphy preferred on the right-hand side of the attack.
Line-up Changes and Omissions
The changes meant Joe Willock dropped to the bench, while Anthony Elanga was also named as a substitute. Sven Botman is still fighting for his place, with Dan Burn hoping to get a run of games under Jaissle. Aladji Bamba was not even named on the bench as Newcastle faced the team just two places below them in the Premier League.
Newcastle United starting XI: Hornicek; Dedic, Thiaw, Burn (c), Hall; Steur, Gonzalez; Murphy, Wissa, Barnes; Osula. Substitutes: Pope, Livramento, Schar, Botman, Toure, Elanga, Willock, Fernandez-Pardo, L Miley.
