Newcastle vs Manchester United LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction tonight

Newcastle have Emil Krafth and Javier Manquillo back in contention following illnesses but Isaac Hayden is suspended and Federico Fernandez, Paul Dummett and Jamal Lewis remain out.

Ralf Rangnick confirmed that Manchester United have an almost full squad to select from after a fresh round of Covid-19 testing. Paul Pogba is only absentee as he misses through injury.

Raphael Varane and Edinson Cavani are fit again and could be in contention to start tonight.

Newcastle United finish a run of difficult fixtures when they host Manchester United in the Premier League tonight. The Tyneside club are about to enter a crucial phase of the season. The next five weeks offer a series of winnable matches for Eddie Howe’s team and the transfer window opens in five days.

It is hard to see a side that has conceded 11 goals in the past three matches against top-half clubs getting anything against United tonight. These are strange times, though. Ralf Rangnick’s team has not played for 16 days. The German is still getting to grips with life at Old Trafford. Still, Rangnick has plenty of talent available to him and clear ideas about how he wants United to play.

There has been less clarity at St James’ Park since the Amanda Staveley-led, Saudi Arabian-backed consortium’s takeover was rubber-stamped in October. The past three months have been a harsh learning process for the new owners. More difficult lessons lie ahead.

Full piece here:

Hello, and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of Newcastle United vs Manchester United in the Premier League.

Tonight’s top-flight game marks the visitors’ first time stepping onto the pitch in over two weeks. Covid-related disruptions to the Premier League’s calendar saw Man United’s fixtures against Brighton and Brentford postponed earlier this month, with the Red Devils’ Carrington training ground closed for a brief period thereafter.

It remains to be seen whether the lack of action will help or hinder Ralf Rangnick’s team, who may be slightly short of match sharpness but who have had a bit more time to get used to their new interim coach’s style of play.

Meanwhile, Newcastle’s fortunes have not improved much in their relegation battle since Eddie Howe’s appointment as head coach, and an admittedly tough recent run of games has seen the Magpies beaten 4-0 by Man City, 3-1 by Liverpool and 4-0 by Leicester.

Their last win came on 4 December as they edged past Burnley 1-0, and even a victory here would not haul 19th-placed Newcastle out of the relegation zone. That said, it could give them some momentum as they approach a kinder run of matches.