Newcastle midfielder Matt Ritchie says the team have "no excuses" when they host West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, despite the Covid-19 outbreak.

Their Premier Leaguegame at Aston Villa last Friday was postponedafter a "significant increase" in cases.

The Magpies' training ground reopened on Tuesday after being shut for over a week.

"The game is hopefully on, I think, and we are preparing as we always do," Ritchie, 31, told NUFC TV on Thursday.

"We have to take the positives. We had a week off to train at home and have fresh legs going into a batch of really good games.

"The boys have come back in good spirits. It's been a bit of a difficult time for everyone, the uncertainty, but it's pleasing to be back. The boys have worked hard and we're raring to go."

Newcastle have had a rough time of it of late at the hands of Covid. Their game with Aston Villa last weekend was postponed after an outbreak in the squad and they will still be missing players when they host the Baggies today. Exactly who is still to be made public, but we'll find out a bit later. Two staff members are also "really poorly" so best wishes and a speedy recovery to all currently struggling.

“It’s been a very difficult week, but we are far better than where we were last Monday," said boss Steve Bruce.

“Since then, we’ve opened the training ground, everyone has tested twice and been negative so we are back to normal for the last two or three days and we have enough to pick an XI to hopefully win us the match.”

Everton midfielder James Rodriguez has been ruled out after sustaining a calf injury against Burnley.

Fabian Delph is sidelined with a hamstring problem, while captain Seamus Coleman will miss a fourth match with a similar injury.

Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic, who was rested for Tuesday's draw against Krasnodar as a precaution after recent hamstring issues, is available.

Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi are both sidelined for two weeks.

Manchester United's Anthony Martial is fit again after missing the midweek Champions League defeat by RB Leipzig with a minor injury.

Fellow forward Edinson Cavani, who also did not travel for that game, will be assessed.

Manchester City's Sergio Aguero will be on the bench after making a scoring return in Europe in midweek.

Ilkay Gundogan, who picked up a knock in that Champions League match, trained on Friday but Eric Garcia is out.

Newcastle manager Steve Bruce has revealed he will be without "a big chunk" of first-team players because of the Covid-19 outbreak at the club.

However, three unnamed players are back in training after negative tests.

West Brom head coach Slaven Bilic is expected to make changes following last week's 5-1 defeat by Crystal Palace.

Jake Livermore, Kieran Gibbs and Filip Krovinovic are among the favourites to come in but Matheus Pereira begins a three-game suspension.

Here is the early team news for the three games that follow the West Midlands derby...

Mark Lawrenson
BBC football expert

Wolves are not going to have Raul Jimenez back playing again anytime soon, so they need to find something different in attack.

I was at Anfield to see them lose to Liverpool on Sunday and Nuno Espirito Santo's side did not pose much of a threat in front of goal. They seemed very reluctant to shoot.

They have so many players with fantastic technique but don't always finish teams off, which is why I fancy Aston Villa to nick a point.

Prediction: 1-1

Lawro's full predictions v Lonely The Brave drummer Mo Edgeley

Coming up at 12:00 GMT on BBC One is Football Focus, featuring a certain Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Here is a little taster of what you'll hear from the big man...

Wolves have handed a first Premier League start to 18-year-old striker Fabio Silva, their club-record £35.6m signing from Porto in the summer.

The Portugal Under-19 international is one of two changes to the starting XI for last week's 4-0 defeat at Liverpool, with he and defender Romain Saiss coming in for Ruben Neves and Willy Boly.

Wolves XI: Patricio, Semedo, Coady, Saiss, Marcal, Dendoncker, Moutinho, Traore, Neto, Podence, Silva.

Subs: Ait-Nouri, Neves, Boly, Vitinha, Kilman, Otasowie, Ruddy.

Image source, BBC Sport

Aston Villa have also handed a teenager his first Premier League start, with midfielder Jacob Ramsey starting the West Midlands derby.

The 19-year-old is one of two changes to the starting XI for the 2-1 defeat at West Ham two weeks ago, with he and Bertrand Traore replacing Conor Hourihane and Trezeguet.

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett, McGinn, Luiz, Ramsey, Traore, Grealish, Watkins.

Subs: Hourihane, Nakamba, El Ghazi, Guilbert, El Mohamady, Hause, Steer.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

We have, of course, already had one Premier League game in this round of fixtures, with West Ham getting the better of Leeds courtesy of a couple of set-pieces last night.

The Hammers are looking pretty handy at the moment, up in fifth, four points off top.

Here is what the two managers had to say after that game...

It is a first Premier League start for Wolves striker Fabio Silva - the heir apparent to Raul Jimenez.

There is also a first Premier League start for 19-year-old Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey.

Full team news shortly.

After the game at Molineux, we head to St James' Park for Newcastle v West Brom. Then it is the Manchester derby at 17:30 - United v City. Our final game is Everton v Chelsea at 20:00.

We'll have full team news for you shortly for that game at Molineux. But as a taster of what is to come...

Wolves have no reported fresh injury problems.

Forward Raul Jimenez has left hospital after surgery on his fractured skull, while defender Jonny is also a long-term absentee with a knee injury.

Aston Villa midfielder Ross Barkley remains out with a hamstring injury.

Winger Trezeguet is available despite suffering a cut to his head against West Ham and Bjorn Engels is fit after a long-term thigh injury.

Back again so soon? Actually, is it even tomorrow yet? I'm looking outside but I can't see the sun. Oh well, I'll just crack on...

Welcome to another Saturday of Premier League football. We've got four games for you today, in which we'll answer some big questions, like who gets to crow in Manchester, can Carlo get one over the side that sacked him and just how many Newcastle players are gonna be watching from their living room this afternoon?

Before all that, though, we've got a game in the Midlands to pick the bones out of, in the form of Wolves v Aston Villa. The Tony Daley Derby.