Newcastle v Sunderland: Two Changes

By Anthony Marshall - Newcastle United Managing Editor

At St. James' Park

Rafa Benitez has made two changes to his Newcastle United line-up for Sunday's Tyne-Wear derby against Sunderland at St. James' Park (1.30pm kick-off).

Chancel Mbemba and Andros Townsend return to the Magpies' side for the Barclays Premier League fixture - which is new boss Benitez's first home game in charge.

The duo replace Steven Taylor and Vurnon Anita, who both drop down to the substitutes' bench, as Benitez shuffles his pack from Monday night's single-goal defeat at Leicester City.

United are expected to line up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Republic of Ireland international goalkeeper Rob Elliot behind a back four of Daryl Janmaat, Mbemba, Jamaal Lascelles and ex-Black Cat Jack Colback.

Stand-in skipper Jonjo Shelvey and nine-goal leading scorer Georginio Wijnaldum will patrol the middle of the park for the hosts, with Moussa Sissoko and Townsend taking up roles on either flank.

And in the final third, Ayoze Perez will partner Aleksandar Mitrovic, as the pair look to build on their respective tallies of six and five goals.

Joining Taylor and Anita on the bench, there are places for fit-again Papiss Cisse, Emmanuel Riviere, Siem de Jong, Henri Saivet and Karl Darlow.

Newcastle United (4-4-2): Rob Elliot; Daryl Janmaat, Chancel Mbemba, Jamaal Lascelles, Jack Colback; Moussa Sissoko, Jonjo Shelvey (c), Georginio Wijnaldum, Andros Townsend; Ayoze Perez, Aleksandar Mitrovic

Substitutes: Karl Darlow, Steven Taylor, Vurnon Anita, Henri Saivet, Siem de Jong, Emmanuel Riviere, Papiss Cisse

Sunderland (4-1-4-1): Vito Mannone; DeAndre Yedlin, Younes Kaboul (c), Lamine Kone, Patrick van Aanholt; Jan Kirchhoff; Fabio Borini, Yann M'Vila, Jack Rodwell, Wahbi Khazri; Jermain Defoe

Substitutes: Jordan Pickford, Billy Jones, John O'Shea, Lee Cattermole, Ola Toivonen, Jeremain Lens, Dame N'Doye

Referee: Martin Atkinson (Yorkshire)