FOR much of last season, picking Newcastle United’s midfield was simply a case of selecting the last men standing. Not anymore. As he ponders his starting line-up for this afternoon’s game at Fulham, Eddie Howe will spend more time weighing up the make-up of his midfield than with any other position.

In all four of their league games this season, Newcastle have started with a midfield three comprised of Bruno Guimaraes, Sean Longstaff and Joelinton. However, in last weekend’s win at Wolves, it was only when Longstaff and Joelinton made way that the Magpies’ central unit really began to purr.

The pair were replaced by Sandro Tonali and Joe Willock, both of whom will hope to start at Craven Cottage. Having missed ten months because of his betting ban, Tonali is now back up to full speed and more than capable of playing a full 90 minutes. Willock returned from injury at Molineux, and proved his wellbeing with a characteristically energetic second-half display.

“Is it the toughest midfield selection conundrum I’ve had in my time here? Yeah, I think so,” said Howe, whose side will climb to the top of the table if they beat Fulham. “But these are the decisions that we wanted when we signed those players.

“We felt we needed those, especially for a season in the Champions League. Then when you add Lewis Miley to that group, you’ve got six outstanding central midfield players.

“But a club like ourselves, with the ambitions that we have, we need that strength in depth, and we possibly don’t have that in other positions in the squad. So, my wish is that they all stay fit, they all push each other, and I have some really tough decisions to make.”

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With Tonali and Willock offering more creativity than the players they replaced last weekend, there has been a growing clamour for Longstaff to make way for at least one of the duo.

Longstaff is less of a ball-player than either Tonali or Willock, and does not offer the same level of goal threat as the players who are hoping to replace him. His athleticism, positional nous and wholehearted commitment are highly-valued by his manager though, hence Howe’s tendency to stay loyal to the 26-year-old.

“You just have to look at his (Longstaff) qualities,” said Howe, when asked about Longstaff’s importance to the team. “He is highly intelligent and understands the team’s objectives in and out of possession.

“Technically, he is a very good player, and he has high energy. If you look at his running data week to week, it is usually one of the highest in the Premier League,. He brings a lot of energy to the team and that is what we would miss if he is not playing.

“It is always difficult to talk about one player in detail, but Sean has been very, very good since I have been here as manager. He’s brilliant to work with from my perspective and I think his general performances have improved. 

“He still has areas to work on, like every player, but he has been fundamentally important. He has performed really well, and played near enough every game when he has been fit.

“Competition now is higher than it has ever been. He is going to know that and be very aware that he is competing with very good players for a starting place. That’s a battle I hope elevates every single one of them to play better than they think they are capable of.”