Newcastle United travel to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace on Sunday looking for a first Premier League win in four matches, and Rafa Benitez must be bold with his team selection against their relegation rivals.
Benitez’s men head to Selhurst Park on the back of a disappointing draw to high-flying Burnley, after the Clarets scored late to snatch a point after a spirited Magpies performance.
Captain Jamaal Lascelles had opened the scoring for Newcastle on 65 minutes, heading home a corner from new January signing Kenedy, who performed brilliantly on the day.
Their opponents Palace are also coming in off a 1-1 draw with West Ham, after Christian Benteke’s headed opener was cancelled out by West Ham captain Mark Noble’s penalty at the London Stadium.
Both sides are very much embroiled in the ever-tightening Premier League relegation battle this season, with Palace currently sitting in 13th on 26 points, with the Magpies just behind them in 14th on 24 points.
That gives this tie extra importance as both sides look to pull away from the bottom three in the coming weeks, and Benitez must reflect that urgency with his team selection.
This is Futbol have selected the best possible Newcastle XI, including an axe for one midfield maestro and a reinstatement for a wing wizard in three changes.
Click below to see who should start in goal and defence