Newcastle United face Manchester United in the Carabao Cup tonight, with one Toon player set to change position for the game at Old Trafford.
Eddie Howe has the difficult task of rotating his side. On the one hand, he will be keen to pick a Newcastle team that has enough quality to advance to the quarter finals of the Carabao Cup. On the other, he will be aware that his squad is already stretched ahead of important Premier League and Champions League fixtures.
The cup clash with Man United has come at a bad time for Newcastle, when Howe is without some of his key players. It is unclear when Sven Botman will be back from injury, while Alexander Isak appears to be out until after the next international break.
His injury is the biggest loss, as it means Callum Wilson is our only fit striker. And he has his own fitness issues.
That means Howe is going to have to be creative, as he prepares to ask one of his Newcastle stars to play out of position.
Anthony Gordon to start up front for Newcastle tonight
According to the Daily Mail, Anthony Gordon is set to start up front for Newcastle against Manchester United.
That would mean Wilson receives a rest, which is a wise decision ahead of the games against Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund.
Ahead of the trip to Old Trafford, Howe spoke about Gordon’s ability to play through the middle, having done it so well for England Under-21s over the summer. Now we will see if he can do it in a black and white shirt.
Playing Gordon up front and resting Wilson is the smart decision, but it does mean Howe will need to pick someone else to play on the left wing. His options include Joelinton, Joe Willock, Matt Ritchie and Lewis Hall. We picked the latter in our predicted starting XI.
It will be a difficult team selection for Howe, but choosing Gordon as his striker will definitely be the correct call, regardless of the result.
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