It is a cliché, but Newcastle United’s clash with Sunderland could simply come down to who wants it more.
The Tyne-Wear derby is a game of passion and intensity, which is often absent from other derbies in English football.
But Sunderland vs Newcastle United will be a full-blooded affair, as the two sides get set to do battle in the Premier League for the first time since March 2016.
Experience and understanding of the game are vital, which is why having local lads can be a huge advantage to Eddie Howe on Sunday.
Who are you starting in midfield vs Sunderland? 🤔
Bruno and Tonali have to start, obviously.
The four Newcastle United fans who could feature against Sunderland
Fortunately for the Toon boss, there are four players within the Newcastle United squad who either belong to the region or grew up supporting the club.
Dan Burn and Lewis Miley are local lads, while Jacob Murphy and Lewis Hall were brought up as Newcastle supporters because of their family.
While every Newcastle United player will be up for it against Sunderland, this foursome should know better than most the importance of the derby. They should be players who Howe can rely on, but it remains to be seen how many of them will start.
Burn and Hall feature in Geordie Boot Boys’ predicted Newcastle United XI to face Sunderland, whereas Miley and Murphy could find themselves on the bench.
However, that is not certain. Joelinton is an injury doubt and the right-wing position has not been nailed down, which could lead to opportunities for Miley and Murphy to feature in the starting lineup too.
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This is our predicted Newcastle XI to face Sunderland! Would you make any changes?
I would start Miley, but I think Howe will go with Joelinton.
Sean Longstaff was part of Newcastle United’s last Tyne-Wear derby
The last time Newcastle United played against Sunderland was January 2024 in the FA Cup.
On that day, Howe named two Geordies in his starting XI. Burn started at left-back, while he was joined by Sean Longstaff. The Newcastle United academy graduate joined Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton in midfield, as they picked up a 3-0 victory.
There will be no Longstaff on this occasion, however, as he left the club to join Leeds United during the summer transfer window.
Longstaff will likely be cheering on his former teammates from home, with injury ruling him out of Leeds’ game against Brentford which comes immediately after the Tyne-Wear derby on Sunday.
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