First PL start in five months incoming? - Predicted Newcastle side to face West Ham

With tonight's game just a few hours away, it's time to predict what side Eddie Howe will go with as the Hammers come to town.

Here's the starting 11 we're backing to take on West Ham come 5.30pm:

(4-3-3): Pope – Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn – Willock, Longstaff, Joelinton – Almiron, Wilson, Saint-Maximin.

I'm almost certain that Joelinton will drop into midfield alongside Joe Willock and Sean Longstaff, with Bruno Guimaraes' red card and Jonjo Shelvey’s late exit leaving us incredibly short in that area of the field.

That creates a space to fill on the left and I think we'll see Allan Saint-Maximin come in. It would be the Frenchman’s first Premier League start for five months, but Howe spoke very highly of the winger in Friday's pre-match press conference, saying he was in great shape physically and ready to play a "huge" role over the second half of the season after waiting patiently for game time in recent weeks.

Not only that, I believe he can help make up for the creativity we miss without Bruno. With Gordon unlikely to be thrown straight in, this could be one of several defining games for ASM between now and the summer.

Up top, doubts over Alexander Isak’s concussion status mixed with Callum Wilson’s history against the Hammers - he's scored nine goals in his last 11 against West Ham - leaves me backing the latter to start.