Kieran Trippier is the one Newcastle transfer target that "screams get it done", according to the Telegraph's North East football correspondent Luke Edwards.

There is much anticipation on Tyneside about potential business in January following the Saudi-backed takeover in October and Edwards has identified a player to make a statement.

"Kieran Trippier would instantly elevate the team," Edwards told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"It's a Championship-level defence and Newcastle are going down without the right players.

"Trippier is an England international, he played under Eddie Howe at Burnley and he wants to return to the north of England."

Trippier joined Atletico Madrid from Tottenham in July 2019, but the 31-year-old has regularly been linked with a move back to the Premier League.

"The owners need to be ready to go in the first week of January - they've got to do deals and do them quickly," added Edwards.

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Lawro's opponents this week are Tears for Fears' Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal, who are both Manchester United fans.

Roland's prediction: I can only go with a win for us, but I do hope Eddie Howe gets it right. He seems like a good guy and Newcastle is such a great place and their fans are amazing. 0-3

Curt's prediction: Newcastle will score, but we will win. 1-3

Mark Lawrenson
BBC football expert

Eddie Howe has improved Newcastle, but not enough to get them many more points than they already had. Yes, he brought them their first win of the season but they are still losing a lot of games. They have left themselves a mammoth task to stay up.

Lose this too and they will have earned 10 points from their first 19 games. Even reaching 35 points, which has been what teams have needed for survival in two of the past three seasons, will take a phenomenal effort from here.

I do think this game will end in another defeat for the Magpies too. Yes, they were competitive at Anfield, and they also had a big decision go against them against Manchester City, but the facts are they were just not good enough defensively to get anything out of either game.

I'm expecting a similar story here. Manchester United have had a couple of weeks off since their last game because of a Covid-19 outbreak, but their training ground reopened this week and Ralph Rangnick will have been working them hard. They will be going to St James' Park to win.

Prediction: 0-2

This is the first time Newcastle have spent Christmas Day in the relegation zone.

They are three points behind 17th-placed Watford, who have three games in hand.

Benhard Naweseb: If Newcastle play anything close to how Norwich played against Manchester United, I see them getting something from this game.

Judith in Rhyl: All you Maguire bashers, most of which are not United fans anyway, defence is about partnerships. Varane arrives end of September we conceded three in five with Harry. Varane injured and the Liverpool disaster happened with Lindelof. Back together again now, let's see.

Press the play button at the top of the page to listen along to all the build-up on BBC Radio 5 Live.

John Anderson
Former Newcastle defender and BBC Radio Newcastle pundit

We're past that stage [of must wins]. Tonight's game marks the halfway stage of the season and we've only won one game. It's a big ask.

We need to win eight of the next 20 games.

Everybody is going to have an eye on the transfer window because we need new blood. I think it will be difficult to attract the kind of players we'd want to.

It's OK being the richest club in the world but these players don't want to be in a relegation battle. We need people who are prepared to roll their sleeves up and dig us out of the hole we're on. Covid will make this transfer window even more difficult.

Anyone who thought it would be an instant fix was kidding themselves. There was so much wrong with the club. The worst thing that could happen would be getting relegated.

Newcastle have conceded 79 league goals in 2021 - the joint most of any Premier League team in a calendar year, along with Ipswich Town in 1994. The last top-flight team to concede more over the course of a year was West Bromwich Albion, who let in 87 goals in 1985.

The Magpies have let in 41 goals, their most after 18 games of a season since 1960 when they went on to be relegated from the top flight.

BruNO (away goals) Fernandes.

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Manchester United

Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick, speaking to Sky Sports: "We resumed for training last Tuesday and on Thursday had almost the whole team apart from Paul Pogba in training. Unfortunately, Victor Lindelof tested positive with Covid yesterday so he cannot play. But Raphael Varane is available again and is in the starting line-up. In the last three or four days we had some good training sessions.

"He [Mason Greenwood] is definitely playing up front, but in what position you will see. He deserves to play. He did extremely well in the last two or three weeks in training and when he came on against Young Boys.

"It was about decision making against Norwich. In some parts of the game we did not take the right decisions and I did not like the body language in some parts. This was a topic in preparation for this game, an away game in front of 65,000. We need to take the next step and be aggressive and prepared for a difficult, intense game.

"We had two clean sheets in the last two games and so no need for me to change anything I do not have to. It is about taking steps and development. With our team, we are always able to score goals so it is about having a clean sheet and playing defensively with all the players. It starts up front with the strikers."

A couple of you wondering why Victor Lindelof isn't in, here's your answer...

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This is the 150th top-flight meeting between these sides, with Manchester United seeking to match their club record of five successive league wins against Newcastle.

The Magpies have won just three of the past 17 Premier League encounters, all by a 1-0 scoreline.

Newcastle United

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, speaking to Sky Sports: "A massive occasion, a massive game. Games here between these teams are very historic. We are looking to create those memories for us and leave a really good feeling for the supporters.

"We are looking for every game to be transformative. We are capable. We've seen in the last two games we have competed against two really difficult opponents. Performances have been really good. Today we need to put it all together and produce the complete performance.

"Difficult in the preparation. We have a mixture of injuries and Covid cases. The squad is stretched. But we are making the best of the situation. We want to play. We have had an eight-day gap so I am looking for energy and intensity in our play. We should have no excuses in delivering a physical performance.

"The progress will be defined again by the matches. The last couple, for big elements of the game, we have defended well but have conceded chances and goals. There is work going on behind the scenes to try and improve, not just the back four but the midfield and the whole team's cohesive structures. The team is there to get the best out of the individuals within it. They have to give everything to the team. It is a two-way process."

Joe Wedgwood: I really feel for Lindelof. Must be tough knowing that no matter how shockingly woeful Maguire can be, he'll never be the one that's dropped?

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says players "need help" and wants talks about the festive schedule to continue.

"The situation should not be like this," said Klopp.

"I know so many people think it's tradition and we want to play on Boxing Day, we could have played on Boxing Day and that would have been no problem at all.

"But playing on the 26th and the 28th is just not right."

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel said: "They make us play all the time, even if we have Covid. We have new injuries and it won't stop. People at the green table, in offices, make these decisions.

"We are struggling, we're pressing our players. We do changes because of injuries. We don't change for tactical reasons any more."

A record 103 Premier League players and staff tested positive for Covid in the seven days up to and including 26 December, new figures show.

The previous weekly league record was 90 cases, announced a week ago.

A total of 15,186 tests were carried out between 20 and 26 December, as the Premier League has reintroduced daily testing of players and staff.

Fifteen English top-flight games have been called off so far during December because of coronavirus cases.