Having recently enjoyed the exhilaration of Champions League competition, Newcastle United return to the domestic scene to face Sheffield United at Bramall Lane in the Premier League.
The Magpies battled to a goalless draw against AC Milan at the San Siro on Tuesday night, having ended a three-match skid in the English top-flight with victory over Brentford on Tyneside last weekend.
The Blades, newly promoted, have endured a tricky start to the season and boast only one point after five matches, though that did come against Everton in their previous home match.
Paul Heckingbottom's side have actually performed quite well, narrowly losing to both Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, conceding late on; in fact, all four defeats have come by a single goal, but an increase in attacking intent will certainly be needed to bypass Nick Pope's goal.
Failure to win in Sheffield would constitute a poor start to the season, but Eddie Howe's outfit now have a glorious opportunity to bag successive league victories and start to close the gap on those at the forefront.
What's the latest Newcastle team news?
Howe has confirmed that midfielders Joe Willock and Joelinton will remain sidelined for the forthcoming Premier League clash, with full-back Emil Krafth still absent as he looks to build fitness following a long-term injury.
While there are not believed to be any fresh concerns for Howe and co to nurse, the weight of European competition has now beset the shoulders of the Magpies squad, many of whom had previously never tasted continental competition.
As such, the Toon boss might look to stir things up somewhat and unleash several changes on the affair, with talented young full-backs Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento both pushing for their first starts in black and white.
Fabian Schar has played every minute of the season so far, and – while he is a solid and dependable defender – could be among those to receive a rest today, especially considering Manchester City await in the Carabao Cup next Wednesday.
How is Fabian Schar performing?
For much of his time on Tyneside, Swiss centre-half Schar failed to impress, having struggled to cement a regular starting role after joining from Spanish side Deportivo La Coruna in 2018 after his reported £3m release clause was met.
Journalist John Gibson branded the 31-year-old a "walking mistake", though he continued to state that he has "eliminated" the blemishes in his skill set under Howe's tutelage.
Last season, he started 36 matches in the Premier League and contributed enormously toward Newcastle's keeping of the joint-best defence in the division, also keeping 12 clean sheets.
However, the £40k-per-week titan – who has entered the final year of his contract at St. James' Park – has not quite lived up to the same standards as last year this time around, earning an average Sofascore rating of just 6.78 and winning only 46% of his duels as opposed to an average of 65% last year.
Last year, he was hailed for his "incredible" performances by his manager, with Statman Dave also claiming that he is "important at both ends" for his ball-playing skills and aptitude in the final third, having registered five assists for club and country across the 2022/23 campaign.
And, as per FBref, he ranks among the top 1% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for total shots taken, the top 7% for assists, the top 5% for shot-creating actions and the top 17% for aerial wins per 90, illustrating the dynamic skills that have allowed him to prosper for the fast-rising Magpies.
Having yet to receive a break, however, it might be time for Schar to earn a breather, and club captain Jamal Lascelles might now be set to seal his first start of the campaign.
How good is Jamal Lascelles?
Lascelles has been a stalwart for Newcastle, having made 225 appearances for the Tyneside club since signing in a double £7m deal from Nottingham Forest in 2014, alongside Karl Darlow.
Last season, as United forged a tremendous campaign, the 29-year-old only received four starting roles in the Premier League, very much on the fringe as Sven Botman and Schar thrived together.
Described as a 'leader on and off the pitch' on Newcastle's official club profile for the titan, Lascelles has been the captain since the 2016/17 season, and may well prove to bring the tenacity and composure to overcome the physicality and toughness of the Blades.
While he found scant action on the pitch, the ace did manage to produce some solid showings when he did feature, completing 85% of his passes, winning 67% of his aerial duels and averaging 2.4 clearances per game.
Sheffield United are not the most goal-happy of sides – having taken the joint-lowest amount of shots in the division this season (41), alongside Burnley, who have a game in hand. But they are physical and have jumped into 93 tackles thus far – the sixth-highest tally.
And after failing to bag a win across the opening phase of the term, they will be desperate to kickstart their campaign, and buoyed by what promises to be a cacophonous Bramall Lane support, will not roll over and allow Newcastle to steamroll them.
Lascelles, who was heralded for one "heroic" display in the Carabao Cup last season by Howe, playing on after breaking his nose, is a 6 foot 2 powerhouse and can match the home side in both tenacity and toughness.
Clearly, Schar is the best fit for Howe's side and offers a more expansive skill set than his skipper, but it would be ludicrous for Howe to start him across every match of every competition of this congested campaign, and Lascelles, next to a peer of Botman's merit, could be more than capable of providing his side with the mettle requisite for success.
