Newcastle will attempt to make it 3 wins in as many Premier League games on Saturday when they play host to Stoke City at the Saint James’ Park.
The Magpies hammered West Ham 3-nil in their last game at home, snatching this first victory since returning to the topflight in the process, while they made it 6 points in the bag with an away win over Swansea.
With a Stoke side that have lost just once next on their to-win list, Newcastle have to be in their best elements to maintain their winning streak.
They are set to be boosted by the return of manager Rafa Benitez to the touchline, and even could be further boosted with 2 of Potters’ important first XI members injured and unable to make boss Mark Hughes’ matchday squad.
The defensive duo of Ryan Shawcross and Geoff Cameron are currently on the treatment table, with the latter yet to recover from the back injury that saw him miss the last game against Manchester United, while the U.S.A international picked up a hamstring injury during the game.
Nevertheless, the trio of new signings Kurt Zouma, Kevin Wimmer and Bruno Martins Indi remain available to slot in into Hughes’ 3-man defence system, but losing 2 great defenders mean Stoke have reshuffling problems to tend to.
That gives Newcastle some sort of advantage going into the game, as they can exploit a Potters defence that now looks somewhat weakened.
