Image source, Rex Features

Newcastle bring in defender Chancel Mbemba for his first appearance since November as Grant Hanley makes way in one of three changes. Christian Atsu comes in for Yoan Gouffran, while Mo Diame takes Jack Colback's place.

Visitors Burton bring in Saturday's matchwinner Jackson Irvine and Lucas Akins into the starting XI with Cauley Woodrow and Michael Kightly dropping to the bench.

Newcastle:  Darlow, Anita, Mbemba, Lascelles, Dummett, Diame, Shelvey, Ritchie, Perez, Atsu, Gayle.

Subs: Elliott, Gamez, Hanley, Haidara, Ameobi, Gouffran, Murphy.

Burton:  McLaughlin, Flanagan, Turner, Brayford, Mousinho; Christensen, Irvine, Murphy, Akins, Sordell, Varney.

Subs: Bywater, McFadzean, Dyer, Woodrow, McCrory, Naylor, Kightly.

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Having dealt a blow to Huddersfield's automatic promotion hopes with victory in their back yard on Saturday, Burton Albion's ambitions now turn to bloodying the nose of another major challenger.

Nigel Clough's side travel to St James' Park to face a Newcastle United side with designs on going back to the top of the Championship, hoping to play the role of spoilers.

Helping the Brewers is that Newcastle have lost more games at home than they have on their travels, and that playing in front of 50,000-plus fans creates its own pressures and demands.

Other 'underdogs', Blackburn and Wolves, have come away with success and Burton, with one defeat in eight, can have confidence of following suit.

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After Brighton won last night to climb back to the top of the Championship table, the pressure swings back to Rafael Benitez's Newcastle United.

The second-placed Magpies have only lost one of the past 14 league games and are eight points clear of Reading in the automatic promotion places.

However, the past two occasions Newcastle were promoted to the Premier League, they did so by winning the title - and the onus is on the class of 2017 to emulate that feat.

Helping them in their quest is Dwght Gayle's goalscoring prowess - he was back among the goals in Saturday's win against Wigan and is always a key figure.

So that's Tuesday's action all rounded up. On to tonight's main events... where it's a big night for Newcastle and Huddersfield, as they put their promotion credentials to the test.

It's an even bigger night arguably for Sheffield United, who - on a Wednesday of all days - can take a giant leap into the Championship if results go their way.

At the bottom of the Championship, we know that Rotherham are already down and Wigan are likely to join them unless they quickly end their run of four successive defeats.

Otherwise, it's pretty much as you were in the relegation battle.

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Blackburn, Birmingham, Nottingham Forest and Bristol City - who were hammered 5-0 at Preston - all suffered away losses on Tuesday.

If Burton win at Newcastle this evening, they'll be seven points clear of the bottom three.

Which way to the Premier League?

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Brighton are edging ever closer to the top flight.

The Seagulls beat Birmingham 3-1 on Tuesday to move two points clear at the top of the Championship and 10 points ahead of Reading, who climbed to third place with their win over Blackburn.

Meanwhile, Sheffield Wednesday leapfrogged Fulham into sixth spot with their victory at already-relegated Rotherham, as the Whites were losing 4-2 at Derby.

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The business end of the football season means spring is in the air, bringing with it lighter nights and warmer temperatures.

Nowhere more is the heat on than at at the top of the Championship, where tonight Newcastle and Huddersfield's automatic promotion ambitions are in the spotlight.

Burton and Norwich respectively stand between them and three precious points, while League One leaders Sheffield United can book their return to the second tier tonight if the permutations go their way.

All of that to come between now and 22:00 BST here on BBC Sport.

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