The Newcastle United player we must see in the starting lineup on Sunday - We're not talking about Nick Woltemade
Eddie Howe is likely to make a few changes to his starting lineup on Sunday as Newcastle United head to Bournemouth for a Premier League clash.
The whole idea of Newcastle having two quality players for every position is so that when changes are needed, the team doesn't feel any weaker for it.
Obviously, injuries will play a part in that, and with Jacob Ramsey and Yoane Wissa both absent, Howe's options in midfield and up front are limited.
We expect the midfield to remain untouched, and we expect that Nick Wotlemade will be reintroduced up top on Sunday.
We want to see Malick Thiaw starting on Sunday
At the back, however, there is scope to change things around, and with Fabian Schar taking another blow to the head last night (why does he keep putting that pretty face in harm's way?), Sunday is the perfect opportunity for Malick Thiaw to make his full debut.
The German defender, signed from AC Milan in the summer, has made two substitute appearances so far this season, replacing a concussed Schar both times.
Last night, he looked outstanding in his cameo against Barcelona. On the ball, he looked calm and accomplished. He did a little bit of trickery to flat-foot a Barca forward who was applying some pressure, and then calmly played a simple pass away from danger.
Sunday is the perfect opportunity to see Malick Thiaw and Sven Botman paired up
Thiaw is the long-term replacement for Schar, and Sunday is the perfect opportunity to see exactly what he can do after impressing last night.
Howe could even pair him up with Sven Botman, who also looked solid in his brief appearance last night. Dan Burn didn't do anything to deserve being dropped last night, but a rest won't hurt.
We need to see this future partnership in action at some point, and there's no time like the present.
