Reading v Newcastle: Bigirimana In

By Anthony Marshall - Newcastle United Club Reporter

Teenager Gael Bigirimana has been handed his first Premier League start, as Newcastle travel to Reading on Saturday (3pm kick-off).

The 18-year-old only arrived from Coventry City in the summer but has made an immediate impact on Tyneside with a number of eye-catching displays.

Bigirimana has appeared as a top flight substitute twice this term, while he has got a full 90 minutes in every Europa League fixture to date. But Saturday's match at the Madejski Stadium marks his full Premier League bow, in place of the injured Yohan Cabaye.

The youngster's appearance is one of two changes from United's last league starting line-up - when they beat Norwich - with the other seeing Cheick Tiote come in for Vurnon Anita, also in the middle of the park.

Steve Harper is named in goal, behind a back four of James Perch, Mike Williamson, Steven Taylor and Davide Santon.

With Bigirimana and Tiote providing steel in midfield, Hatem Ben Arfa and Jonas Gutierrez are the creative forces out wide.

And it is an all-Senegalese strike force, with Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse hoping to continue their recent goalscoring form.

On the substitutes' bench there are places for James Tavernier and Shane Ferguson, who excelled at Manchester United in the Capital One Cup on Wednesday night.

For Reading, ex-Magpies midfielder Danny Guthrie is dropped down to the substitutes' bench, while Noel Hunt is preferred up front to Adam Le Fondre.

Reading (4-4-2): Alex McCarthy; Shaun Cummings, Adrian Mariappa, Kaspars Gorkss, Nicky Shorey; Jimmy Kebe, Mikele Leigertwood, Jem Karacan, Jobi McAnuff (c); Noel Hunt, Pavel Pogrebnyak

Substitutes: Stuart Taylor, Alex Pearce, Danny Guthrie, Garath McCleary, Hal Robson-Kanu, Adam Le Fondre, Jason Roberts

Newcastle United (4-4-2): Steve Harper; James Perch, Mike Williamson, Steven Taylor, Davide Santon; Hatem Ben Arfa, Gael Bigirimana, Cheick Tiote, Jonas Gutierrez (c); Demba Ba, Papiss Cisse