Key events
Team news
Sven Botman makes his first start since September, replacing the injured Jamaal Lascelles in defence. Alexander Isak is preferred to Callum Wilson in the only other change from Saturday’s defeat at Luton.
Nuno Espirito Santo has made six changes to the Nottingham Forest side. Ola Aina, Moussa Niakhate, Gonzalo Montiel, Danilo, Ibrahim Sangare and Callum Hudson-Odoi come in for Willy Boly (suspended after that absurd red card against Bournemouth), Harry Toffolo, Neco Williams, Ryan Yates, Orel Mangala and Divock Origi.
Newcastle (4-1-2-3) Dubravka; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Bruno Guimaraes; Longstaff, Miley; Almiron, Isak, Gordon.
Substitutes: Karius, Dummett, Joelinton, Wilson, Ritchie, Krafth, Hall, Livramento, Murphy
Nottingham Forest (possible 4-2-3-1) Turner; Montiel, Murillo, Niakhate, Aina; Danilo, Sangare; Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, Elanga; Wood.
Substitutes: Odysseas, Nuno, Worrall, Mangala, Williams, Kouyate, Dominguez, Yates, Origi.
Referee Chris Kavanagh.
Half-term reports
Newcastle “A heady mix of exhilaration and frustration”
Nottingham Forest “Started promisingly but fell away alarmingly”
The set is staged
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live, minute-by-minute coverage of Newcastle v Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. After a 33-hour Christmas break, the Premier League is back. And while plenty are keen to get away from home over the Christmas period, even if it’s just for a sanity-restoring walk round the block, Newcastle will be very glad to be back at St James’ Park. Their away performances have collapsed since the injury crisis took hold, but their home form – at least in domestic competition – remains impeccable.
Home defeats to Dortmund and Milan cost Newcastle a place in Europe, but in the Premier League they won have seven in a row, scoring 16 and conceding only one. They could do with another victory today to draw a line under a desperate month and boost morale ahead of a series of big games in January.
Forest’s need for points is arguably even greater. They’re in quicksand, having losing six of their last seven league games, and could end the day in the bottom three for the first time this season. Saturday’s defeat to Bournemouth was so cruel as to verge on the sadistic. A result today, even a hard-fought draw, would make Forest feel a bit more optimistic about what the ne year holds.
Kick off 12.30pm.
