Successive home games against Leicester and Newcastle would go a long way to determining Everton’s top four prospects, Carlo Ancelotti admitted earlier this week, but Saturday’s stakes are far higher for Steve Bruce. Newcastle sat 11th in the table after a 2-1 win over Everton on 1 November but their season has since entered a tailspin. No wins in 11 matches in all competitions and two points from the last 27 available have raised the spectre of a relegation scrap and intensified pressure on the Newcastle manager, who has overseen seven successive away defeats. Andy Hunter
Saturday 12.30pm BT Sport 1
Venue Goodison Park
Last season Everton 2 Newcastle 2
Referee Stuart Attwell
This season G11 Y47 R1 4.36 cards/game
Odds H 1-2 A 6-1 D 3-1
EVERTON
Subs from Pickford, Lössl, Holgate, Kenny, Nkounkou, Iwobi, Bernard, Gomes, Sigurdsson, Tosun, Gordon, Small, Onyango
Doubtful None
Injured Allan (hamstring, Feb), Delph (hamstring, Feb), Gbamin (achilles, Feb)
Suspended None
Discipline Y31 R2
Form WWWLWD
Leading scorer Calvert-Lewin 11
NEWCASTLE
Subs from Dubravka, Fraser, Clark, Dummett, Carroll, M Longstaff, S Longstaff, Krafth, Gayle, Manquillo, Yedlin
Doubtful Clark (calf), Dummett (hamstring), Yedlin (international clearance)
Injured Fernández (match fitness, unknown)
Suspended None
Discipline Y36 R1
Form DLLLLL
Leading scorer Wilson 8
