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It has been an abnormal year for the sports world, with the pandemic wreaking havoc to the regular calendar. Football leagues across Europe have experienced a shortened pre-season and fatigued players.
Manchester United have suffered a mixed start to this unique season as a result. Two comfortable wins in the Cup were accompanied with two poor losses at home and a lucky win away in the Premier League that has United sitting 16th in the table.
The international break would have been a friendly sight for those concerned at Old Trafford, giving the players and manager a necessary respite to regroup and refocus.
But Manchester United will have to be ready to compete from the get-go as they face a tough visit to Tyneside. The Magpies have started the season well and always compete hard at home.
With the transfer window closed, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knows the footballers he has to play with. This is the eleven he should choose to get the Red Devils back to winning ways.
Goalkeeper
De Gea has always enjoyed undisputed status as Manchester United's No.1, but with his mistakes becoming more frequent and Dean Henderson back from loan, there is a real threat to his spot in the team.
Solskjaer has repeatedly thrown his support behind the Spanish shot-stopper and should continue that at the weekend despite the goals his team has allowed till now.
De Gea had a mixed outing with Spain keeping a clean sheet against Switzerland but being at fault for Ukraine's winner in the next match.
He will be looking forward to an error-free weekend and will be hoping that his defence can help him repay the manager's faith with a solid performance and a first clean sheet in the league.
Manchester United have let in 11 goals in just three Premier League games so far with the defence looking nothing like the unit that achieved the third-best record last season.
Two center-back pairings have already been tried but with no improvement in defending. Individual errors combined with collective mistakes have resulted in goals flying past De Gea. Losing the midfield battle has also left the defence more exposed this season with United players pressing very less.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be looking to rectify both these shortcomings with a string of changes across defence and midfield. New signing Alex Telles and the returning Axel Tuanzebe will offer options at the back while Donny van de Beek will be hoping for a first league start for Manchester United.
Unavailability of key players in the forward line due to suspension and quarantine protocol will impact team selection and formation, with a diamond midfield potentially being used by Manchester United.
Defenders
The United defence has been responsible for their shaky start this season with no defender looking calm and composed. Last year's signings Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka's weaknesses have been exploited by the opposition so far.
Eric Bailly started the last game ahead of the error prone Victor Lindelof but picked up another niggle while on international duty and is a doubt for the weekend.
It is therefore very likely we'll see the pairing of Maguire and Lindelof return as Solskjaer will be reluctant to rush Tuanzebe who has just returned. Luke Shaw's place looks under threat with new signing Alex Telles raring to go and eager to impress on debut.
Back four: Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire and Telles.
Midfield
The arrival of Bruno Fernandes in January transformed Manchester United's midfield and improved the style of play which helped them finish third last season.
While he appears to be suffering a dip in form, he is still their best player and is a guaranteed starter. Manchester United fans have been begging to see new boy Donny van de Beek start in the league and they might finally see that happening with the Dutch youngster potentially starting at the tip of the diamond.
Bruno will be joined by the controversial Paul Pogba in the middle, having played in a similar position for France during the break. The experienced Nemanja Matic will complete the diamond and will be hoping to shield his defenders better against an energetic Newcastle team.
Midfield: Matic, Pogba, Bruno Fernandes and Donny van de Beek.
Forwards
Manchester United's starting front three of Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood is amongst the best in Europe.
The young attack outscored the deadly front trio of Liverpool last Premier League season though they have started this one sluggishly.
To add to Manchester United's woes, Anthony Martial is suspended for the weekend while his replacement summer signing Edison Cavani is also likely to miss out due to COVID-19 protocols in the UK.
Dan James has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford following a bright start to his Manchester United life, and with Newcastle likely sitting deep his pace will not be needed much. While Jesse Lingard has shown no signs of getting back to his best as he continues to remain on the fringes of the squad.
Veterans Juan Mata and Odin Ighalo have been more than useful when it comes to Cup matches, with the former Chelsea player even winning the man of the match award in his last Cup start against Brighton. Despite their Cup form, Solskjaer seems to have little faith in them when it comes to the Premier League.
This leaves the Norwegian with Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood as the only two realistic options for starting places in the match against Newcastle.
He is therefore likely to abandon his preferred formation of 4-2-3-1 in favor of the 4-4-2 with the diamond in the middle, as his other forward options are just not attractive enough.
Rashford seems to be returning to top form with two club goals before the international break and another for England during it. His mojo looks to be returning as he is showing the willingness to take on defenders while on international duty.
He will be eager to rediscover his goal-scoring form from last season as United prepare to face a tough run of fixtures. His likely strike partner for the weekend - the young and talented Mason Greenwood - missed out on national selection due to off-field mistakes and will be motivated to prove his critics wrong.
Forwards: Rashford and Greenwood
Predicted XI: 4-4-2: David De Gea, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Alex Telles, Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes, Donny van de Beek, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood.
