Newcastle v Aston Villa: Key Trio Return

By Anthony Marshall - Newcastle United Managing Editor

Loic Remy, Fabricio Coloccini and Cheick Tiote return to the Newcastle United starting line-up for Sunday's Barclays Premier League home fixture against Aston Villa (1.30pm kick-off).

Eleven-goal leading scorer Remy has completed a three-game suspension for his sending off at Norwich at the end of January, while captain Coloccini and midfield enforcer Tiote have recovered from respective knee and hamstring injuries.

And, unsurprisingly, the trio are straight into manager Alan Pardew's side from the off, replacing Steven Taylor, Sammy Ameobi and Luuk de Jong as the Magpies look to end a run of just one win in nine games in all competitions.

They are three of four changes to the United team, with the final one seeing Academy graduate Paul Dummett come in for Davide Santon.

Newcastle will line up in a 4-4-2 formation with goalkeeper Tim Krul behind a back four of Mathieu Debuchy, Mike Williamson, Coloccini and Dummett.

Tiote and Vurnon Anita will patrol the middle of the park, with Moussa Sissoko and Yoan Gouffran on either flank.

And Remy will join forces with Senegalese striker Papiss Cisse up front.

On the substitutes' bench there are places for de Jong and Taylor, and they are joined by Shola Ameobi, Dan Gosling, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Massadio Haidara and Rob Elliot.

Newcastle United (4-4-2): Tim Krul; Mathieu Debuchy, Mike Williamson, Fabricio Coloccini (c), Paul Dummett; Moussa Sissoko, Cheick Tiote, Vurnon Anita, Yoan Gouffran; Papiss Cisse, Loic Remy

Substitutes: Rob Elliot, Massadio Haidara, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Steven Taylor, Dan Gosling, Luuk de Jong, Shola Ameobi

Aston Villa (4-3-3): Brad Guzan; Leandro Bacuna, Ron Vlaar, Nathan Baker, Ryan Bertrand; Ashley Westwood, Fabian Delph, Karim El Ahmadi; Gabriel Agbonlahor, Christian Benteke, Andreas Weimann

Substitutes: Jed Steer, Joe Bennett, Ciaran Clark, Yacouba Sylla, Marc Albrighton, Aleksandar Tonev, Grant Holt

Referee: Martin Atkinson (Yorkshire)