Newcastle have had a tough start to life back in the Premier League.
An opening weekend defeat to Tottenham followed by a fruitless trip to Huddersfield leaves Rafa Benitez’s men with no points and no goals from two games.
So, could tonight’s Carabao Cup clash with Nottingham Forest provide an opportunity for some much-needed optimism on Tyneside?
With a huge game against fellow strugglers West Ham on Saturday, the Magpies will almost certainly shuffle their squad for the Forest clash.
Dwight Gayle is sidelined through illness, so the game provides the perfect opportunity for Alexander Mitrovic to stake a claim on the starting line-up.