Newcastle United to get unexpected glimpse of signing club refused to sanction for Steve Bruce

Leicester City are facing a midfield crisis ahead of Saturday's Premier League showdown with Newcastle United at St James' Park - with a former Magpies transfer target now likely to be handed his big chance.

The game marks the first of three in a huge week for Eddie Howe's Magpies as they look to find the consistency which has eluded them all season. New Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy brings his side to Tyneside on Saturday, with Brentford also in town next Wednesday for the Carabao Cup quarter-final clash. United then head to Portman Road to face Ipswich Town the following weekend before Christmas.

However, while all the focus is on how the Magpies respond to their 4-2 defeat at Brentford, van Nistelrooy has confirmed the Foxes are likely to be without two key midfielders for the game. Neither Wilfred Ndidi nor Harry Winks expected to be available to face Newcastle this weekend, and with Boubakary Soumare suspended, Oliver Skipp and Hamza Choudhury are likely to start.

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Choudhury is still well remembered on Tyneside for a horror challenge on Matt Ritchie in the Carabao Cup tie that went unpunished, while he was also a transfer target for the club under Steve Bruce. The tnen-United boiss had hoped for a deadline move for the midfielder in August 2021, but the club under Mike Ashley were reportedly unwilling to sanction a deal.

“He has a hamstring injury so he’s not available for the game,” van Nistelrooy told Leicester Live of Ndidi, “We’re looking at the progress and will see how he reacts to the injury, but it looks like it will at least be a couple of weeks.”

“Winks is doubtful. He’s done part of team training today. Tomorrow we can increase that so we’re going to assess tomorrow if he’s available for the squad on Saturday. But it’s something that is very difficult because today was the first day he did partial team training. We’ll see tomorrow.”

Ndidi picked up a hamstring injury in the 2-2 draw with Brighton, while Winks has not played since Steve Cooper's final game in charge of the Foxes. Facundo Buonanotte is available again after he was ineligible to face parent club Brighton on Sunday.

Newcastle have their own injury issues, of course, with Callum Wilson ruled out after a fresh hamstring problem. Howe will make a late call on Joe Willock after his missed the 4-2 defeat at Brentford.