Newcastle United captain Jamaal Lascelles will expect to be kept busy by Manchester City on Wednesday but it will hand him his chance to impress England boss Gareth Southgate.
Southgate did not go to a game on Boxing Day but will be in the North East to watch Newcastle try to bring City’s extraordinary winning streak to an end at St James’ Park.
Lascelles, 24, has been one of Rafa Benitez’s best players this season and it was Southgate who handed him his debut for England’s Under 21s in 2014.
This comes after Southgate left Manchester United defender Chris Smalling out of his squad in November due to concerns over his ability to play it out from the back.