In what is one of the biggest Tyne-Wear derbies in Premier League history, Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle will look to claw their way out of the relegation zone by claiming all three points against Sunderland on Sunday.
The Magpies go into this game off the back of a 1-0 defeat to table-toppers Leicester City, and their sturdy display against Ranieri’s men has given the Geordie faithful some confidence.
In his pre-match press conference this week, United manager Rafa Benitez announced the long-awaited return of fan favourite Chancel Mbemba, as well as Senegalese striker Papiss Cisse.
Paul Dummett, Massadio Haidara and Cheick Tiote will miss out on the crucial clash, whilst club captain Fabricio Coloccini and Swiss left-back Kevin Mbabu are major doubts.
A loss on Sunday would leave United in an awful place, whereas a win would most likely propel them out of the relegation zone, ahead of their bitter rivals.
In preparation for the game, we’ve decided to pick a combined eleven of the two sides.