Eddie Howe is likely to start 25-year-old vs Brentford, he’s been on the bench all season

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The Newcastle United midfield is not clicking right now, and Eddie Howe is planning to make a change.

The Magpies have gone with the same midfield three for each of their four games so far this season, with Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton joined by summer signing Sandro Tonali.

They were incredibly effective as a trio against Aston Villa, but have struggled ever since. The midfield was overran last time out against Brighton, leading to speculation that Howe would mix things up after the international break.

He certainly has the options to do just that, with both Sean Longstaff and Elliot Anderson waiting for a chance to start their first game of the 2023/24 season.

And luckily for the former, it looks like that will happen on Saturday evening at home to Brentford as Howe eyes a change.

Sean Longstaff likely to start against Brentford

According to the Telegraph, Longstaff is likely to start for Newcastle against Brentford this weekend.

The report from journalist Luke Edwards believes that the 25-year-old is going to come into the starting XI, having been used off the bench in each of Newcastle’s four games so far.

Longstaff was a key player last season but has lost his place in the starting lineup to Tonali, having suffered from injury during pre-season. That is ultimately what led to him being on the bench.

However, it now looks like the local lad is get his place back when the Magpies take on Brentford on Saturday evening.

Who he replaces remains to be seen. It certainly won’t be Bruno, as he is a guaranteed starter under Howe. That means it will either be Tonali or Joelinton. The former feels more likely to drop out, although it arguably should be the latter as his form has been poor. The 27-year-old clearly has not been fully fit, and it has hindered his ability to dominate the midfield like he usually does under Howe.

Saturday is the perfect time for a change, and it looks like that will happen with Longstaff returning to the starting XI. And if he justifies his place in the side, he could end up retaining it at the San Siro against AC Milan on Tuesday night.