Eddie Howe must decide whether or not to change his Newcastle United starting XI against Chelsea on Sunday.
The Magpies welcome Chelsea to St James’ Park, as both sides battle it out to qualify for the Champions League.
It is a massive game for both teams, and the Newcastle United manager will be pondering whether or not to make any alterations to his starting XI.
Some Newcastle fans want Joe Willock to be dropped after his performance against Brighton. Meanwhile, Fabian Schar limped off on Sunday and could be a doubt for Chelsea. Sven Botman is on standby if he is unavailable.
Micah Richards singles out Newcastle United star after impressive cameo
But the one player who could force his way back into the starting XI is Anthony Gordon.
He enjoyed a very bright cameo against Brighton, and Micah Richards has admitted on The Rest Is Football podcast that he was very impressed with the 24-year-old following his introduction in the 56th minute.
“First half Newcastle were poor,” he said.
“They couldn’t get Tonali dictating the game. Isak was trying to get into positions, but he couldn’t really get the ball.
“I thought Gordon made a difference when he came on.
“I thought he stretched them. He was positive. Obviously Barnes has been playing so well with Murphy. It’s always a difficult decision.”
Anthony Gordon should start against Chelsea
Gordon was really impressive after replacing Jacob Murphy early in the second half.
He almost had an immediate impact, driving at Tariq Lamptey and winning a penalty. Unfortunately, replays proved that the foul was outside the box and the decision was overturned.
But it was positive play from Gordon, whose last Toon start came in the FA Cup fifth round defeat to Brighton back in March.
Suspension, injury and the form of Harvey Barnes has forced Gordon to watch from the sidelines, much to his frustration.
Jason Tindall told Gordon to be patient recently and wait for his opportunity. That opportunity could arrive on Sunday, with a lot of supporters calling on the England international to reclaim his place in the side.
That leaves Howe with a decision to make. If he does opt to recall Gordon, he will need to drop one of Murphy or Barnes to the bench.
Based on the draw with Brighton, it is Murphy who should drop out.
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