Newcastle captain Jamaal Lascelles proved the doubters wrong with Burnley performance

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Jamaal Lascelles returned to the Newcastle starting XI on Saturday against Burnley.

The captain was one of two changes made by Eddie Howe, who also brought in Miguel Almiron into the midfield.

The selection of Lascelles was a shock. He’d missed the Norwich game due to suspension, having picked up his fifth booking of the season away to Arsenal.

In his absence, Federico Fernandez made a grand return to Premier League action…once Ciaran Clark had blown his opportunity.

A lot of fans wanted to see Fernandez start, such was his performance against the Canaries.

But instead, Howe went with Lascelles – a player who has been out of form as of late. But did he make the right decision?

Jamaal Lascelles justifies his selection

Before the game, Howe spoke very highly of Lascelles. It somewhat hinted that he would return to the starting XI after serving his one-game ban. But it was still a surprise to see his name when the teamsheet was released at 2pm.

It seemed harsh on Fernandez, who barely put a foot wrong against Norwich.

Lascelles was under pressure to perform. He hasn’t been great in recent weeks, while he was taking the place of a player who fans love right now.

But he justified his selection and then some. It looked like the 28-year-old was back to his old self. He thrived in the physical battle, going toe-to-toe with Chris Wood.

Lascelles was much more dominant in the air than we’ve seen as of late.

While Newcastle’s defensive record has been appalling this season, we’ve looked a lot more solid in the past two games.

Lascelles has had his doubters, but he will have proved a lot of people wrong with his performance against Burnley. It helped the Magpies get their first win of the season, which could be vital in the fight for Premier League survival.