Form guide
Newcastle were in great form up until mid-April, where they had won six in a row – including the League Cup final.
But they now have only one win in their last three after a heavy 4-1 defeat at Aston Villa and the 1-1 draw at Brighton last weekend.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are ending the season in red hot form.
They have lost just once in the Premier League since February 22 – a 1-0 defeat at Arsenal on March 16 – with six wins, two draws and that defeat in that time.
They have also won give in a row in all competitions in the last month.
Howe on changes
Eddie Howe has just been in front of the TNT Sports cameras to talk through the absences of Kieran Trippier and Joe Willock affecting his plans.
“We’ve got to find the right balance today,’ the Toon boss said.
“It was a difficult one this week, losing Kieran [Trippier] and [Joe] Willock, two big players for us.
“It meant readjustment because their qualities you can’t find again.
“But we’ve bringing in top players today.
“[Sven] Botman and [Anthony] Gordon they’ve massive – and have been historically massive – players for us.
“Hopefully we deliver a good performance.”
‘Huge one’
Enzo Maresca is in no doubt about the size of the task this lunchtime.
On Saturday, he said: “It’s a big one, it’s a huge one.
“Manchester United will be a big one. Nottingham Forest will be a big one.
“Each of them will be big games, and on Sunday, it’s the chance to start in the right way.
“We are on a good run, in a good mood, and hopefully we can play a good game and win.
“We are going to try to win the three games we have. How many points do we need to finish top five?
“No idea because it depends on the other results.
“We just need to be focused on ourselves and try to win the three games. That is the focus.”
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