EDDIE HOWE has made four changes to his Newcastle United side for the final game of the season at Brentford - with the injured Anthony Gordon the most notable absentee.

Gordon suffered a knock to his Achilles during Wednesday's 3-2 defeat to Manchester United, and has not recovered in time for today's game.

Martin Dubravka, Kieran Trippier and Elliot Anderson also drop out of the side that kicked off the midweek game at Old Trafford.

Nick Pope replaces Dubravka in goal, with the England international having been an unused substitute for Newcastle's last three matches.

Pope, who will hope to be part of Gareth Southgate's squad for this summer's Euros in Germany, will make his first start since suffering a shoulder injury in early December.

Fabian Schar returns to the starting line-up after being a second-half substitute on Wednesday. The Swiss international will partner Dan Burn at centre-half, with Emil Krafth moving across to right-back to replace Trippier.

Harvey Barnes replaces Gordon on the left of Newcastle's attack, with the other change to the starting line-up seeing Joelinton get the nod ahead of Anderson in midfield.

Callum Wilson returns to the Newcastle squad after recovering from the illness that has kept him out of the last two games, but the striker has to be content with a place on the substitutes' bench.


BRENTFORD (4-3-3): Flekken; Roerslev, Zanka, Pinnock, Reguilon; Jensen, Norgaard, Janelt; Mbuemo, Toney, Wissa.

Subs: Valdimarsson, Maupay, Schade, Ghoddos, Lewis-Potter, Damsgaard, Trevitt, Yarmoliuk, Konak.


NEWCASTLE (4-3-3): Pope; Krafth, Schar, Burn, Hall; Longstaff, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Murphy, Isak, Barnes.

Subs: Dubravka, Trippier, Dummett, Wilson, Ritchie, Almiron, Anderson, White, A Murphy.