Newcastle v United: Your essential guide

Here’s what you need to know ahead of our trip to the north-east, including how to watch the action and who to look out for from the Magpies.

HOW CAN I FOLLOW THE GAME?

MUTV subscribers will be able to watch live dedicated build-up to the game in the Match Day show from 15:00 BST, followed by live radio commentary. You can also follow our coverage on ManUtd.com and the Official App, where you can track live data and player statistics in the Match Centre.

WHICH TV CHANNEL IS IT ON IN THE UK?

The match will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League in the UK. As always, MUTV are showing the match in full the following day.

WHAT’S THE TEAM NEWS?

United have several injury concerns ahead of our trip to Tyneside. Jesse Lingard limped off during the goalless draw with AZ Alkmaar on Thursday, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer suggested in his post-match interview that he would not be risked on Sunday. Paul Pogba (ankle) and Luke Shaw (hamstring) missed the match in the Netherlands, as did Anthony Martial (hamstring) and all three could be out of contention. Phil Jones will return after the international break, while it remains to be seen whether or not Aaron Wan-Bissaka is fit enough to play after two games out with tonsilitis. Eric Bailly remains a long-term absentee, having undergone knee surgery in July.

WHAT ABOUT NEWCASTLE?

The Magpies will be without Isaac Hayden, who is serving the first of a three-match ban after he was shown a straight red card during the Magpies’ defeat to Leicester City. Sunday's match comes too early for Florian Lejeune (knee) and Matt Ritchie (ankle), but former United skipper Steve Bruce revealed in his pre-match press conference on Friday that Jonjo Shelvey and Dwight Gayle have been training this week and are in line to feature against the Reds. Shelvey missed out on the trip to the King Power Stadium with a thigh injury, while Gayle has been struggling with a calf problem and hasn't played yet this season.

HOW HAVE NEWCASTLE STARTED THIS SEASON?

The Tyneside club currently sit 19th in the Premier League, with five points from their opening seven games. Their only victory, so far, came on 25 August, when an early Joelinton goal, combined with a superb defensive performance, proved enough to overcome Tottenham Hotspur at their new stadium in the capital, while the Magpies have also drawn 1-1 and 0-0 at home to Watford and Brighton & Hove Albion respectively. A narrow opening-day defeat to Arsenal at St James’ Park has been followed up with three consecutive losses on the road, to Norwich City, Liverpool (both 3-1) and Leicester City (5-0 last Sunday). The Magpies have struggled for goals in the league, netting just four times – the joint-fewest of any club, along with rock-bottom Watford – and were also knocked out of the Carabao Cup by the Foxes in August.

WHO IS THE MAGPIES’ MANAGER?

The Reds’ legendary former centre-back Steve Bruce took charge on Tyneside in July 2019, replacing Rafael Benitez, who guided the Magpies to 13th in the Premier League in 2018/19. Newcastle are the fifth club Bruce has managed in the top flight, after Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic, Sunderland and Hull City, although the 58-year-old, who made 414 appearances while at Old Trafford, has spent the last three seasons in the Championship, with Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday. Bruce has faced United 21 times in the Premier League as a manager and is yet to finish on the winning side, drawing five and losing 16 of those previous meetings.

ONE TO WATCH

The summer departures of Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez were mourned by the St James’ Park faithful, with the pair having scored 23 of the Magpies’ 42 Premier League goals in 2018/19 between them. Fans hope January arrival Miguel Almiron and returning hero Andy Carroll will be able to weigh in with their fair share, although the majority of the goalscoring burden has fallen on record signing Joelinton. The Brazilian, a summer signing from Hoffenheim, has started each of Newcastle’s seven league games so far, netting the vital winner against Spurs and impressing with his hold-up play and work rate on his debut in the narrow defeat to Arsenal. Newcastle’s no.9s – think Andy Cole and Alan Shearer – have had a major impact on this fixture in the past, and the 23-year-old will hope to follow in their hallowed footsteps.

WHAT’S OUR RECORD LIKE AGAINST NEWCASTLE?

There have been 167 previous competitive meetings between the two clubs, stretching back to the very first, contested in the old Second Division way back in 1895. The Reds have won 86 to Newcastle's 42, while there have been 39 draws. The 2019/20 season will see us reach the milestone of 50 meetings with the Magpies during the Premier League era. The total currently stands at 48, of which the Reds have won 28, drawn 14 and lost six. We’ve won 13 of the 24 Premier League matches played on Tyneside, including four of the last six. Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the Reds once again came away from the north-east with all three points last season, when Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford were both on target after the interval to earn us to a 2-0 victory in January.

WHO’S THE REFEREE?

Mike Dean will be the man in charge of the players at St James’ Park on Sunday. The Premier League’s most experienced referee, Dean has already officiated a United game this season: August’s 1-1 draw with Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium, in which he showed the Saints’ Kevin Danso a second yellow card midway through the second half. The Wirral-based referee will be assisted by Ian Hussin and Darren Cann, with Lee Mason as fourth official. Andre Marriner and his assistant Stephen Child will be responsible for Video Assistant Referee referrals.

RIVALS WATCH

A full programme of Premier League fixtures is scheduled for this weekend, with six games taking place on Saturday and four on Sunday, due to the Europa League commitments of United, Arsenal and Wolves. Here’s a complete list of Matchweek 8 games:

All kick-offs 15:00 BST unless stated

SATURDAY 5 OCTOBER

Brighton & Hove Albion v Tottenham Hotspur (12:30 BST)

Burnley v Everton

Liverpool v Leicester City

Norwich City v Aston Villa

Watford v Sheffield United

West Ham United v Crystal Palace (17:30 BST)

SUNDAY 6 OCTOBER

Arsenal v Bournemouth (14:00 BST)

Manchester City v Wolverhampton Wanderers (14:00 BST)

Southampton v Chelsea (14:00 BST)

Newcastle United v MANCHESTER UNITED (16:30 BST)

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