EPL: Newcastle v Brighton preview
Newcastle v Brighton preview
Rafa Benitez is set to make changes as his Newcastle side prepare to swap their stifling approach for a more attacking one against Brighton on Saturday.
Benitez left a string of previous starters on the bench in a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City but Matt Ritchie, Mikel Merino and Christian Atsu could all return to the starting XI for a game Benitez deems more winnable.
The Spaniard told reporters: "We'll try to score goals and play at the level we did at West Ham.
"These are the games where people expect us to compete and to win, so my concern is to approach the games with the belief that we can win."
Brighton head to Newcastle on Saturday on a run of just one win in their last nine matches and while their hosts' defensive display in midweek drew criticism from some quarters, Seagulls boss Chris Hughton knows the threat his old employers can pose.
"Newcastle are a team we know very well, we know they have a lot of quality," Hughton said.
"They haven't had the best of times of late but we know on a good day for them they can be a fairly formidable team, they have enough quality to make them very dangerous opponents."
Team news
While Benitez may shuffle his pack further up the pitch, he will be forced into one change, goalkeeper Rob Elliot (thigh) set to be replaced by Karl Darlow.
Midfielder Isaac Hayden is available after shaking off the knock which has kept him out of the last two games, but full-back Jesus Gamez (ankle), central defender Florian Lejeune (foot) and striker Aleksandar Mitrovic (back) are still sidelined.
Izzy Brown returns to the Brighton squad for the trip to Newcastle.
The on-loan Chelsea forward was ineligible to face his parent club in Albion's 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day.
Boss Chris Hughton has a full-strength squad with the exception of long-term absentee Steve Sidwell, who is still recovering from a back problem.
The Spaniard told reporters: "We'll try to score goals and play at the level we did at West Ham.
"These are the games where people expect us to compete and to win, so my concern is to approach the games with the belief that we can win."
Brighton head to Newcastle on Saturday on a run of just one win in their last nine matches and while their hosts' defensive display in midweek drew criticism from some quarters, Seagulls boss Chris Hughton knows the threat his old employers can pose.
"Newcastle are a team we know very well, we know they have a lot of quality," Hughton said.
"They haven't had the best of times of late but we know on a good day for them they can be a fairly formidable team, they have enough quality to make them very dangerous opponents."
Team news
While Benitez may shuffle his pack further up the pitch, he will be forced into one change, goalkeeper Rob Elliot (thigh) set to be replaced by Karl Darlow.
Midfielder Isaac Hayden is available after shaking off the knock which has kept him out of the last two games, but full-back Jesus Gamez (ankle), central defender Florian Lejeune (foot) and striker Aleksandar Mitrovic (back) are still sidelined.
Izzy Brown returns to the Brighton squad for the trip to Newcastle.
The on-loan Chelsea forward was ineligible to face his parent club in Albion's 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day.
Boss Chris Hughton has a full-strength squad with the exception of long-term absentee Steve Sidwell, who is still recovering from a back problem.