Premier League: Willock starts for Newcastle as Eddie Howe returns to dugout

Newcastle upon Tyne (England), April 26 (IANS) Joe Willock starts for Newcastle United for Saturday's Premier League clash against Ipswich Town, with head coach Eddie Howe returning to the dugout at St James' Park. The Magpies host the Tractor Boys, targeting a fifth consecutive league win on home soil, and Howe has made one change from the side which suffered a 4-1 away defeat to Aston Villa last weekend as Joe Willock replaces Joelinton, who is missing from Saturday's encounter with a knee injury.

Nick Pope, who began his career at Ipswich's Academy, continues in between the sticks behind a four-man defence involving Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schär, Dan Burn, and Tino Livramento.

Bruno Guimaraes, who will make his 150th appearance for the Magpies this afternoon, is situated in the middle of the park alongside Sandro Tonali and Willock while Jacob Murphy, on target in United's 4-0 away win against Ipswich in December, and Harvey Barnes will aim to provide attacking support for Alexander Isak, who netted a hat-trick in the reverse fixture at Portman Road.

Sven Botman is named in a Premier League matchday squad for the first time since January, with the Dutch defender amongst the substitutes, while Howe has a number of attacking options to deploy if required, including Anthony Gordon, William Osula, and Callum Wilson, with the latter one goal shy of a half-century for the Magpies.

Sean Longstaff, Lewis Miley, and Emil Krafth are also named on the bench, while Martin Dubravka, who kept a clean sheet in December's win against the Blues, and John Ruddy are the substitute goalkeepers.

Meanwhile, Kieran McKenna made four changes to the Ipswich team that lost at home to Arsenal last weekend with Luke Woolfenden, Cameron Burgess, Jack Taylor, and Liam Delap coming in, replacing Axel Tuanzebe, Jens Cajuste, and the suspended Leif Davis. Tuanzebe misses out altogether, but Omari Hutchinson is back on the Ipswich bench.

Squads:

Newcastle United: Pope, Trippier, Schar, Burn, Livramento, Bruno Guimaraes, Tonali, Willock, Murphy, Isak, Barnes

Subs: Dubravka, Ruddy, Botman, Wilson, Gordon, Krafth, Osula, Longstaff, Miley

Ipswich Town: Palmer, O'Shea, Woolfenden, Burgess, Greaves, Morsy, J Taylor, Johnson, Enciso, Clarke, Delap

Subs: Walton, Chaplin, Cajuste, Hutchinson, Luongo, Hirst, Godfrey, Boniface, T Taylor

--IANS

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