Newcastle United face Everton at St James' Park tonight looking to make it back-to-back Premier League victories after the stunning 4-3 comeback over West Ham United on Saturday.
Forward Alexander Isak impressed once again for the Magpies, scoring twice, taking his league tally to 14 this season in his 21 top-flight appearances.
The win was Eddie Howe's first since the 2nd of March, when his side defeated Wolves 3-0 – with the latest victory seeing the club jump up to 8th place in the Premier League.
However, it was not all plain sailing for the Magpies during the encounter, with Jamaal Lascelles suffering an ACL tear, subsequently joining fellow centre-back Sven Botman on the sidelines for up to nine months.
Another one of Howe's men hobbled off during the game against David Moyes' side, with the player needing to be replaced by one of the club's star performers from Saturday.
Miguel Almiron should not start against Everton
Despite not starting the encounter, winger Miguel Almiron was brought on in the 56th minute for Howe's side before being replaced through injury just 11 minutes later.
The 30-year-old hobbled off with a suspected knee problem, but recent reports suggest that it's only a minor problem, with his withdrawal mainly as a precaution given Lascelles' earlier issue.
Magpies boss Howe decided to bring the Paraguayan on ahead of attacker Harvey Barnes on Saturday, despite Almiron enduring a torrid run of form, with the attacker failing to score since the 4-1 victory over PSG back in October.
Regardless of whether he is fit, Almiron should not start, with the £60k-per-week dud failing to replicate any of his form from last campaign, which saw the forward score on 11 occasions in the Premier League.
He has only managed to notch three goals in the league during 2023/24, with the former Atlanta United man struggling to match the form of one Magpies talent.
The man to start against Everton tonight
After his two-goal cameo against the Hammers on Saturday, £38m man Barnes is deserving of a start tonight, with the 26-year-old having the ability to change a game in an instant, as demonstrated over the weekend.
Despite only being on the pitch for 23 minutes, the former Leicester City attacker scored twice and registered four shots, all of which were on target, to turn the game around to secure all three points for his team in the 4-3 win.
Barnes then earned a rating of 9/10 from Newcastle Chronicle writer Lee Ryder, with the journalist branding the forward as a "hero", for his fantastic display.
It is almost impossible for Howe not to select the winger after his recent display, with the 26-year-old star needing to make his first Premier League start since the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth back in February.
Barnes boasts an impressive record against Everton in England's top-flight, with the attacker scoring twice in his eight appearances, also providing one assist with the winger being on the winning side on two occasions.
Leeds United
8
6
0
Fulham
6
3
1
Watford
6
3
1
Everton
8
2
1
Chelsea
8
2
1
All things considered, the wideman needs to start if Newcastle are to produce anything successful within the final third, with Barnes potentially being the key to a victory tonight.
He will be looking to add to his four goals in the league this campaign, with the attacker deserving of the opportunity to flourish for the Magpies once again after his heroics at the weekend.