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Predicted Newcastle XI to face Nottingham Forest as Eddie Howe makes key Sandro Tonali decision

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Newcastle United resume their Premier League campaign with a trip to Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon.

Eddie Howe will be hoping to make it three wins on the bounce for Newcastle United after back-to-back victories over Chelsea and Arsenal.

It is Newcastle’s final game before the November international break and is a great opportunity for the Magpies to drag themselves closer to the Premier League‘s top four.

Newcastle currently sit 11th in the Premier League table but are only three points away from the Champions League spots.

However, on Sunday they face a Nottingham Forest side who have climbed to third in the table. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have been a surprise package this season and represent another tough challenge for Newcastle.

Position Team Played MP Won W Drawn D Lost L For GF Against GA Diff GD Points Pts
11 NewcastleNewcastle10 4 3 3 10 10 0 15
FBL-ENG-PR-NEWCASTLE-ARSENAL
Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images

Eddie Howe set to start Sandro Tonali

Striking a balance in midfield has been one of the toughest challenges for Howe this season.

He has experimented with a star-studded midfield of Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton and Sandro Tonali, but the trio failed to click and Newcastle have looked much better with Sean Longstaff in the side.

Longstaff has extended his incredible record as a starter after starring against Chelsea and Arsenal in recent weeks.

He must keep his spot in midfield, which has recently pushed Joelinton out to the left wing – an area he thrived in against Arsenal.

READ MORE: Newcastle’s upcoming fixtures compared to rivals as chance to build momentum beckons

Joe Willock has also stepped into midfield and impressed, but that leaves little space for £55m man Tonali.

Against Forest, expect Tonali to return to the starting lineup after missing out against Arsenal.

Newcastle United predicted XI vs Nottingham Forest

After a slow start to the season, Newcastle are now beginning to hit top form so we are not predicting many changes from the lineups that beat Chelsea and Arsenal.

Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento were “outstanding” against Arsenal and keep their spots at full-back, while Dan Burn gets the nod over Lloyd Kelly alongside Fabian Schar at centre-back.

After Anthony Gordon’s David Beckham-esque cross to Alexander Isak last time out, we predict him to start on the right again at the City Ground.

Longstaff keeping his spot in midfield should provide a platform for both Tonali and Guimaraes to start in midfield, while Joelinton stays on the left wing.