Newcastle United assistant manager Jason Tindall has said that Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak could both be fit enough to be involved against Manchester United on Sunday, with the former more doubtful.

Tindall took the pre-game press conference on Friday, with manager Eddie Howe having been bed-ridden with illness during the week.

On Gordan, Tindall said that the outlook with him was positive, though he was unable to say definitively whether he will be in the squad.

"He's had a decent week with the physios. He was back out on the grass for a pitch session yesterday. We will assess him today and we will have to make a late call to see if he's available for the bench on Sunday," said Tindall, as reported by BBC Sport.

Isak, meanwhile, "feels fine" according to Tindall. Newcastle leapfrogged Manchester City into fifth with their 3-0 victory over Leicester City on Monday and can solidify their grip on a Champions League place this weekend.

"It's really tight. With eight games to go everybody is fighting. All we can control is our performances and what we do. It's important we go into every game and give the best account of ourselves," said Tindall.

"It's another important game for us. We'll prepare the same as we did for Leicester. The lads know how important the game is with only eight games remaining. It's a game we're hoping to do well in and to deliver the performance we know we can to win the game."

Ruben Amorim has played down thoughts of squad rotation coming into the upcoming schedule, suggesting that he they cannot be thinking about any games beyond the next one.

Of course, I am going to be careful with some players but again we need to be competitive. When you are playing for Manchester United you cannot go to the game thinking about the next one," he said.

"So we are going to face this one and then we have three days, we are going to prepare for the next one without a lot of running and a lot of training.

"It's just recovering and then we will be fine on Thursday with our fans. But we need to face Newcastle in a way that we can win."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Newcastle – Alexander Isak

Isak is the third-highest goalscorer in the Premier League this season with 20 goals, behind only Erling Haaland (21) and Mohamed Salah (27).

The Swede also has the sixth-highest goal-to-xG differential at 3.72 and a shot conversion rate of 26.67%, which is higher than Haaland and (20.59%) Salah (25%).

Manchester United – Bruno Fernandes

Fernandes has created more chances than any player in the Premier League this season (75). It’s the fifth time he has created 75+ chances in a single season in the competition, with the only player on record (from 2003-04) to do so more times is Kevin De Bruyne (seven).

The 30-year-old has scored three goals and supplied three assists in his last six league games.

MATCH PREDICTION: NEWCASTLE WIN

Amorim is averaging 1.15 points-per-game in the Premier League. The only managers in Manchester United’s history to average lower than that in the top-flight (20+ games, assuming three points for a win) are AH Albut (0.73) and Scott Duncan (1.00).

Only Leicester City (14) and Everton (13) have failed to score in more different Premier League games this season than Manchester United (12), who have drawn a blank in their last two in the league. It’s the most times the Red Devils have failed to score in a single league season since 1989-90 (16).

Newcastle could become the fourth team to do the Premier League double over Manchester United this season, the most different sides to do so in a single top-flight campaign since 1957-58 (four).

The hosts come into this have won 11 of their last 15 Premier League games, losing the other four. Since the first game in this run (December 14th), no side have won more (Liverpool also 11).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY 

Newcastle – 55.5%

Draw – 22.2%

Manchester United – 22.2%