Newcastle vs Burnley preview
Watch match highlights on the Sky Sports app, website and Sky Sports Football YouTube channel at 5.15pm
Friday 28 February 2020 15:08, UK
Team news, key stats and ways to follow ahead of Newcastle vs Burnley in the Premier League.
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Team news
Jonjo Shelvey is back in the Newcastle squad for Saturday's crucial Premier League clash with Burnley.
The midfielder has missed the last six games with a hamstring injury, but has returned to training this week along with defenders Emil Krafth (ankle) and Javier Manquillo (hamstring).
However, loan signing Valentino Lazaro is suspended following his red card at Crystal Palace last weekend and Ciaran Clark will miss the rest of the season with ankle ligament damage, joining fellow defenders Paul Dummett (hamstring) and Jetro Willems (knee ligaments) and striker Andy Carroll (hamstring) on the sidelines.
Burnley striker Chris Wood will return to contention.
The Clarets' leading goalscorer (hamstring) missed last week's home win against Bournemouth, but has returned to full training and boss Sean Dyche must decide whether to recall him or retain Matej Vydra.
Midfielder Johan Berg Gudmundsson has had a minor setback in his recovery from a hamstring problem, while Ashley Barnes (hernia) and Matthew Lowton (knee) are still out.
How to follow
Follow the match in our dedicated live blog, while highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel at 5.15pm.
Opta stats
- Newcastle haven't lost a home league game against Burnley since April 1976, winning three and drawing three since.
- Following their 1-0 win in December, Burnley are looking to complete the league double over Newcastle for the first time since the 1960-61 campaign when the Clarets were the reigning champions.
- Newcastle are winless in their last four Premier League games (D2 L2), and have failed to score in their last three. The Magpies last went four in a row without a goal in September 2015.
- Burnley have won four of their last five Premier League games (D1), as many as they had in their previous 14 in the competition (W4 D0 L10).
- Newcastle have faced more shots on target than any other Premier League side so far this season (158). Only once since 2003-04 has a team faced as many as 5.9 shots on target per game in a Premier League campaign and avoided relegation (Sunderland in 2015-16).
- No side has scored a higher share of their Premier League goals from set-piece situations (excluding penalties) than Newcastle this season (50 per cent - 12/24). However, Burnley have conceded a league-low five per cent of their goals this term from such situations (2/39).
- There have been just 24 goals scored in Newcastle's 13 Premier League home games this season (F12 A12) - no other side's home games have seen fewer. Only in 1980-81 has St James' Park seen a lower goals-per-game ratio (1.7) than the 1.8 there this term.
- Of players to have played at least 900 minutes in the Premier League this season, Newcastle's Allan Saint-Maximin has embarked on more dribbles per 90 minutes than any other player (9.7). He's beaten an opponent with 58 per cent of these, the third highest among players to have attempted at least 100.
- Newcastle striker Joelinton has gone 24 games, 1946 minutes and attempted 35 shots since his last Premier League goal against Tottenham in August.
- Burnley's Matej Vydra has scored in back-to-back Premier League games, having netted just once in his previous 24 appearances in the competition with West Brom, Watford and Burnley combined. He last scored in three consecutive league games in November 2017 with Derby in the Championship.
Charlie Nicholas' prediction
Burnley are in great form. I still feel in recent weeks they have rode their luck, with the decisions that have come their way. That could run out.
Newcastle have had the opposite effect. They were sitting in a precious position of safety, but still have plenty of work to do, with three games to win and only 11 remaining now - I think this is where it begins.
Burnley are unpredictable. Dwight McNeil added a goal from a different area, Matej Vydra has come back and played well, while Jay Rodriguez has been scoring too. Steve Bruce knows it has not been great recently, but they know if they can get this win it will be a step closer to safety for them.
CHARLIE PREDICTS: 2-1 (9/1 with Sky Bet)
Super 6: Honours Even
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