Football News

Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle predicted XIs: Confirmed team news and probable lineups

Published: 16:45, 9 February 2024

Goals look guaranteed when Newcastle head to Nottingham looking to avenge their 3-1 home defeat to Forest from earlier in the season.

Each of the Magpies’ last five Premier League games has passed the four-goal mark with eight shared equally between the sides when they hosted Luton last weekend.

The home side will be buoyed by their midweek FA Cup replay win over Bristol City and the return of some important players from injury.

But the Magpies’ injury predicament only worsens with Anthony Gordon leaving St. James’ Park on crutches after last week’s 4-4 draw with the Hatters.

Eddie Howe urges fans to get behind Dan Burn

After fans chanted for Dan Burn to be replaced during Newcastle’s 4-4 draw against Luton last weekend, manager Eddie Howe has gotten behind his defender, calling him one of his “most important signings”.

The left-back was eventually hooked after 64 minutes at St. James’ Park on Saturday, after a poor performance that saw him get beaten time and time again and get dribbled past four times, but Howe is confident he can put it behind him.

“Criticism is a strange thing, and I’m sure I’m getting absolutely slaughtered out in the wider world.” he said

“You know it’s happening but you don’t expose yourself to it. From my side, I prefer to keep myself away from it and I’m sure Dan is the same because he’s experienced.”

“As long as Dan feels the love from everyone internally, and I’m sure the supporters value him greatly, actually. A lot of the noise is probably coming from other sources. He needs to be celebrated for his career and for what he’s done since he joined the club, not the other way around”

“He has to be right up there in terms of the most important signings we’ve made. You have to take yourself back to where we were (19th in the Premier League). It was a very difficult market to sign players and attracting them to come was incredibly tough. Dan was one of those players who was desperate to play for Newcastle, and he’s never lost that love and enthusiasm for the club”

“He’s been an incredible signing for me, much better than I could have hoped. We were in a dire situation and he was one of the players that helped galvanise the group, and he’s still doing that on a daily basis, so I can’t speak highly enough of him. “He showed tremendous courage to come back way ahead of schedule because you could see the team needed him,’ he said. ‘He’s played in a little bit of discomfort, especially in the first couple of games. He’s got through that and I think he’s on his way to feeling really good again.”

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Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle team news

After he made eight changes to the Forest side that faced Bristol City on Wednesday, Nuno Espirito Santo is expected to field a team much closer to the one that drew 1-1 at Bournemouth last weekend.

Matz Sels should return in goal with Ryan Yates and Nicolas Dominguez, who were missed in midweek, adding their tireless presence to the midfield engine room.

Right-back Gonzalo Montiel picked up a knock and could be replaced by Neco Williams.

The probable loss of Gordon will open up a berth in Newcastle’s attack for fit-again Callum Wilson, but Alexander Isak, Joe Willock, Joelinton, Elliott Anderson, Nick Pope and Sandro Tonali are still unavailable.