Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is expected to name a very different team to face the A-League All Stars on Friday.
The Magpies were at full strength as they drew 1-1 with Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, going on to win the game on penalties thanks to Mark Gillespie’s heroics.
Eddie Howe has since confirmed that his international stars have left the camp, with Bruno Guimaraes not expected to be involved ahead of his involvement in the Copa America. The same goes for Euro 2024 bound Kieran Trippier, who is not injured despite being taken off early against Tottenham.
Friday’s game against the A-League All Stars will be a chance for the Newcastle United youngsters to impress, and this is the starting XI we predict Eddie Howe will pick.
Mark Gillespie starts for Newcastle
After helping Newcastle win on Wednesday, Mark Gillespie is set to start against the A-League All Stars.
Eddie Howe has confirmed that he will be involved, and could not speak highly enough of the 32-year-old after the victory over Spurs.
It is clear that Gillespie is a trusted and important figure behind the scenes, and his Toon career is going to continue into next season after signing a contract extension.
Some senior experience in Melbourne for Newcastle
While Howe is going to put out a younger team on Friday, it feels likely that there will be some experienced players involved. We anticipate that Paul Dummett and Dan Burn will feature in defence, with the former not playing a single minute against Spurs.
Elliot Anderson could also keep his place in midfield, where he will be joined by Joe White and Travis Hernes. They both came on in our previous game, with White looking very tidy in the middle of the park.
As for Hernes, the Norwegian has never started a senior game for the Magpies, but did appear on the bench in the Premier League and the FA Cup this season.
And there is also an appearance in attack for 34-year-old Matt Ritchie after he failed to appear on Wednesday.
Golden chance for Garang Kuol in Australia
With so many senior players unavailable, Howe is going to have to play a lot of youngsters. But deciding which youngsters is not easy.
Amadou Diallo and Lucas De Bolle are available, but both are due to leave Newcastle United this summer when their contracts expire this summer. This game is perhaps a chance to put themselves in the shop window, but we anticipate both players to start on the bench.
As for Garang Kuol, he could get a golden opportunity. His cameo against Tottenham was nothing special, with the 19-year-old barely getting a kick. Howe has since stated that another loan move is likely, although there has been speculation that he could actually be sold.
READ MORE: Who is Garang Kuol? Height, Position, Transfer, Family and More
That seems premature, but it is important that Kuol takes any opportunity that comes his way in black and white. It would be great to see him start against the A-League All Stars, having got his big break in that side back in 2022.
Predicted XI vs A-League All Stars: Gillespie; Ashby, Murphy, Dummett, Burn; Hernes, White, Anderson; Parkinson, Kuol, Ritchie.
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