Up to 12 players could miss Manchester United’s trip to Newcastle as the Premier League confirm who will officiate the Wednesday evening tie.
Michael Carrick’s outstanding run at Manchester United continued on Sunday, as a hard-earned victory over Crystal Palace lifted the Reds into third place in the Premier League table.
Goals from Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Šeško turned the game around after an early setback, securing three valuable points and turning attention to Wednesday’s trip to Newcastle United, led by Eddie Howe, at St James’ Park.
United have not won at the famous ground since October 2020, when strikes from Harry Maguire, Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka sealed an emphatic 4-1 victory. Wednesday night now presents a genuine opportunity to bring that barren run to an end.
Following a 3-2 home defeat to Everton, Newcastle sit 13th in the league and have lost four of their last five matches, form that suggests they are vulnerable. However, United will still need to contend with a fierce atmosphere and a demanding challenge on Tyneside.
Premier League confirm Newcastle vs United referee
Peter Bankes (pictured above) will be the referee on Wednesday evening in Newcastle. Bankes has officiated 20 Premier League fixtures this season, as well as one in the Carabao Cup.
Bankes has officiated United just once this campaign, coming in a 2-1 win against Chelsea at Old Trafford, where goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was sent off for the visitors after bringing Bryan Mbeumo down outside the area.
This season, Bankes has issued 79 yellow cards in the Premier League and 82 across all competitions. He has issued three red cards this season, two straight reds, and has awarded five penalties, all in the Premier League.
During the game, Eddie Smart and Blake Antrobus will serve as Bankes’ assistant referees. Tim Robinson will be the fourth official on Wednesday evening, separating Carrick and Howe.
Paul Tierney has been appointed as the Video Assistant Referee. Marc Perry will act as assistant VAR.
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12 players doubts for the trip to Newcastle
For United, up to six players could miss the trip up north, with defenders Matthijs de Ligt (back) and Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu (hamstring) already confirmed absentees.
Meanwhile, there are no fixed timelines for the returns of defender Lisandro Martínez (calf) and midfielder Mason Mount (knock), while defenders Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw both had to come off with unclear problems against Crystal Palace.
At the same time, defenders Tino Livramento (hamstring), Fabian Schar (ankle), and Emil Krafth (knee), as well as midfielders Lewis Miley (thigh) and Bruno Guimaraes (hamstring), are certain to miss the fixture for Howe.
Midfielder Jacob Ramsey also came off at half-time of their recent loss against Everton, although Howe confirmed after the game that this was due to sickness, meaning he could be involved against Carrick’s Reds if he recovers in time.
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