Steve McClaren could probably do without facing Jürgen Klopp’s renascent Liverpool in front of live television cameras. After presiding over only two league wins all season, Newcastle’s manager acknowledges he is in the dark about his precarious looking future on Tyneside and is unlikely to be cheered by memories of the last time he met Klopp. In 2011 a Bundesliga win for the German’s Dortmund side at McClaren’s Wolfsburg proved the Englishman’s penultimate game in charge before his sacking. Louise Taylor
Kick-off Sunday 4pm
Venue St James’ Park
Last season Newcastle United 1 Liverpool 0
Live Sky Sports 1
Referee Andre Marriner
This season G7, Y30, R2, 4.86 cards per game
Odds H 5-1 A 3-5 D 3-1
Newcastle United
Subs from Darlow, Woodman, Mbabu, Sterry, Cissé, Mitrovic, Gouffran, Toney
Doubtful None
Injured Aarons (foot, Jan), Taylor (groin, Jan), Haïdara (knee, Apr), Obertan (hamstring, Apr), Krul (knee, Aug), Lascelles (hamstring), Rivière (knee), Tioté (groin), Williamson (hamstring, all unknown)
Suspended None
Form WLDWLL
Discipline Y28 R3
Leading scorer Wijnaldum 6
Liverpool
Subs from Bogdan, Sturridge, Rossiter, Henderson, Ibe, Touré, Teixeira, Origi, Chirivella, Brannagan, Randall, Sinclair
Doubtful None
Injured Coutinho (hamstring, 10 Dec), Flanagan (knee, 19 Dec), Sakho (knee, 26 Dec), Gomez, Ings (both knee, May)
Suspended Can (one match)
Form DDWLWW
Discipline Y33 R1
Leading scorer Coutinho 5
