EPL: Newcastle v Everton preview
Newcastle v Everton preview
Michael Keane and Phil Jagielka are fully fit and back in contention for Everton's Premier League trip to Newcastle
Jagielka played the last seven minutes of Sunday's Merseyside derby after a three-match absence, while fellow centre-back Keane has managed just one 10-minute substitute appearance during that time and did not get off the bench at Anfield.
However, the duo are back to full fitness and could be recalled by boss Sam Allardyce as he faces one of his former teams, with Everton having won on three of their last four league visits to St James' Park (L1).
The Magpies are in a poor run of form at the moment, winning just a single point in their last seven Premier League matches (D1 L6), but manager Rafa Benitez has never lost a home league game against Everton, winning five and drawing two.
"The way that you lose can always affect players, obviously, but the main thing is that we lost," Benitez said of Newcastle's recent run, the latest reverse a 3-2 home defeat to Leicester at the weekend.
"We were talking about lack of experience sometimes, but it is something that we have to improve very quickly. If everything is fine, we can keep this intensity and hopefully create more chances and score more goals, and then we don't have to complain if we concede a late goal.
"We have to have the confidence that we had before - it is easy to say, it is very difficult to do it if you don't win. We know the only way is to keep working and keep working harder."
Alongside the potential returns of Keane and Jagielka, winger Yannick Bolasie played half an hour for Everton U23s on Monday as he steps up his comeback from a year out with a knee injury, although he is not ready for first-team action yet.
Newcastle have no fresh injury concerns. Paul Dummett is his only senior absentee as the left-back works his way back from a hamstring problem which has sidelined him since the opening day of the season.
Dummett played an hour for the club's U23s on Friday and while he is close to a return, the game will also come too soon for him.
However, the duo are back to full fitness and could be recalled by boss Sam Allardyce as he faces one of his former teams, with Everton having won on three of their last four league visits to St James' Park (L1).
The Magpies are in a poor run of form at the moment, winning just a single point in their last seven Premier League matches (D1 L6), but manager Rafa Benitez has never lost a home league game against Everton, winning five and drawing two.
"The way that you lose can always affect players, obviously, but the main thing is that we lost," Benitez said of Newcastle's recent run, the latest reverse a 3-2 home defeat to Leicester at the weekend.
"We were talking about lack of experience sometimes, but it is something that we have to improve very quickly. If everything is fine, we can keep this intensity and hopefully create more chances and score more goals, and then we don't have to complain if we concede a late goal.
"We have to have the confidence that we had before - it is easy to say, it is very difficult to do it if you don't win. We know the only way is to keep working and keep working harder."
Alongside the potential returns of Keane and Jagielka, winger Yannick Bolasie played half an hour for Everton U23s on Monday as he steps up his comeback from a year out with a knee injury, although he is not ready for first-team action yet.
Newcastle have no fresh injury concerns. Paul Dummett is his only senior absentee as the left-back works his way back from a hamstring problem which has sidelined him since the opening day of the season.
Dummett played an hour for the club's U23s on Friday and while he is close to a return, the game will also come too soon for him.