Marriner in the middle at the Etihad

West Midlands official Marriner has been appointed for the fixture, which will be his first match involving Newcastle this term.

The 49-year-old, who has been a top flight referee since 2005, last took charge of a game involving the Magpies in October 2019. On that occasion, United were beaten 1-0 by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, with Marriner having also overseen a 3-1 defeat at Liverpool just a few weeks previously.

So far this season, the experienced official has been the man in middle of 12 matches, including the Community Shield clash between Arsenal and Liverpool. The majority of the remaining 11 games have come in the Premier League, with a couple in the Championship and Carabao Cup.

In those outings Marriner has dished out 26 yellow cards in all - but has yet to issue a red, while last season he showed just two red cards and 71 yellows across the entire campaign. There has only been one game this term, however, in which he has kept his cards pocketed.

Scott Ledger and Richard West will assist Marriner at the Etihad Stadium, while Andy Madley will be the fourth official. Lee Mason will be in charge of VAR, with Matthew Wilkes assisting him.