Newcastle United predicted line-up for Nottingham Forest with Sandro Tonali dilemma

After last season in which Eddie Howe was desperate for more options for his Newcastle United midfield, the Magpies head coach is now blessed with riches in that key area - and it makes for a selection headache.

Sandro Tonali put in what was probably his best display of the season in the 2-0 Carabao Cup win over Chelsea, but was then left out for last weekend's Premier League clash with Arsenal. However, that game saw United hit new heights for the campaign with a well-earned 1-0 victory over the Gunners, with plus-points all over the pitch.

One of the key positives was the combination of Joe Willock and Joelinton on the left-hand side, with the pair dovetailing well both going forward and when they needed to deny Arsenal space. Bruno Guimaraes was back to his best in the central role, while Sean Longstaff's two performances since returning the starting XI have been excellent.

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The 'problem' Howe has is that while Tonali's class is clear to see, he performs better in the middle of a three - but captain Bruno still has the edge in that department. How does he solve it? Well if they play as they did against Arsenal then no one can have any complaints, and they will need to maintain those high levels against Nottingham Forest.

Bringing in Tonali could give United a slightly less attacking set-up against Nuno Espirito Santo's side and make them more compact, but also could take away their ability to hit quickly on the break. Jacob Murphy returns to the squad, but while Anthony Gordon prefers to operate on the left, his performance on the right against the Gunners has allayed any concerns about playing him 'out of position'.

With no midweek game to necessitate rotation, and an international break looming, it would be no surprise to see the same starting XI at Forest. The back four largely picks itself, with Kieran Trippier and Sven Botman still injured, although Lloyd Kelly impressed against Chelsea.

However, expect Tino Livramento, Fabian Schar, Dan Burn and new England call-up Lewis Hall to start in front of Nick Pope. Up front, Gordon has shaken off the knock which kept him out at Chelsea two weeks ago and will continue with Alexander Isak through the middle and Joelinton on the left, ably supported by Willock. It means Tonali and Harvey Barnes can be introduced as big-player substitutes should Howe need to alter things, or simply provide fresh legs.

Newcastle United predicted line-up vs Nottingham Forest: Pope; Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall; Longstaff, Guimaraes, Willock; Joelinton, Gordon, Isak.

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