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Team news: Longstaff starts at Stamford Bridge
Sean Longstaff will make his first Premier League start for Newcastle United against Chelsea on Saturday evening (5.30pm kick-off).
The 21-year-old has been brought into the starting 11 by manager Rafa Benítez for the clash at Stamford Bridge, with the Magpies boss also opting to hand defender Florian Lejeune his first league start since of the campaign after he recovered from a cruciate knee ligament injury.
Martin Dúbravka will be in goal, with Jamaal Lascelles, Lejeune and Ciaran Clark in central defence and DeAndre Yedlin and Matt Ritchie flanking them.
Christian Atsu lines up in midfield alongside Isaac Hayden and Longstaff, who made his top flight bow for his boyhood club as a substitute at Liverpool on Boxing Day.
And Ayoze Pérez will support Salomón Rondón in attack against Maurizio Sarri’s men.
Freddie Woodman returns to the bench after starting last weekend’s FA Cup third round tie against Blackburn Rovers, with Jamie Sterry, Javier Manquillo, Fabian Schär and Federico Fernández – who is back from injury – also among the substitutes.
Winger Jacob Murphy and frontman Joselu provide attacking options for Benítez from the bench.
Newcastle United: Martin Dúbravka; DeAndre Yedlin, Jamaal Lascelles, Florian Lejeune, Ciaran Clark, Matt Ritchie; Christian Atsu, Isaac Hayden, Sean Longstaff; Ayoze Pérez; Salomón Rondón
Substitutes: Freddie Woodman, Javier Manquillo, Jamie Sterry, Federico Fernández, Fabian Schär, Jacob Murphy, Joselu.