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Newcastle United set for changes against Leeds United

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Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce has confirmed that he will be forced to make changes against Leeds United tonight.

The festive period of fixtures is underway in the Premier League with clubs playing midweek league games for the first time this season.

It had been a regular feature of Leeds’ campaigns under Marcelo Bielsa before promotion in the summer, so Leeds’ fitness might not come into question over this upcoming hectic schedule.

However, the same can’t be said for Newcastle United as they contend with more issues than games every four days.

The Magpies were forced into closing their training ground after a huge outbreak of positive cases at the club meant they had to postpone their clash against Aston Villa on December 4.

Obviously the safety of the players and their families was the utmost at the time, but as the squad return to training together after their victory over West Brom, the focus will be on how the Newcastle squad could be struggling with fitness at Elland Road tonight.

Steve Bruce has welcomed back Ryan Fraser from injury after he missed the last four games, but this boost for the visitors is met with an equal dilemma that they could be forced to rotate.

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Speaking ahead of his side’s trip to West Yorkshire tonight, Bruce had this to say on his squad (via the Chronicle Live):

“I am looking at the three or four who played at the weekend.

“The one thing I am looking at is fatigue.

“With that in mind I will look to make two or three changes.”

Leeds’ fitness was bound to be superior coming into the game but it’s a big boost for us that Newcastle could be flagging even more than usual as they prepare for this one.

Leeds have injuries of their own but to be coming into this on a significant advantage in this sense could play very much into our hands.

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