Newcastle United's backline will look a tad different to usual when West Ham United visit St James' Park this month - as will Eddie Howe's substitutes' bench.

The Magpies will welcome the east London outfit to Tyneside hoping to make it four wins from four in all competitions - but Howe will have to achieve such a feat without the suspended Dan Burn.

The centre-back picked up a controversial booking in Newcastle's 3-1 win at Nottingham Forest, his fifth of the campaign, bringing with it a one-game ban.

Burn made a tactical foul on Morgan Gibbs-White on the counter attack, seconds after Tino Livramento had been elbowed in the face just yards away from referee Anthony Taylor, who waved play on.

"It's very rare you see me run to the fourth official but I thought Tino [Livramento] had been elbowed in the face and it was a clear free-kick, it wasn't given and Dan paid the price for that really because he feels like he has to make the foul in that moment," Howe admitted after the 3-1 win.

That means Lloyd Kelly will likely get another shot to prove his worth at the heart of the defence alongside Fabian Schar in just shy of two weeks time.

Howe will also be forced into a change on his bench, with Emil Krafth also set to miss the Premier League outing.

The Swedish international has pulled out of his country's upcoming fixtures this month after missing the Forest clash entirely with a suspected broken collar bone.

Krafth has had to play a bit-part role this term but has filled in expertly whenever called upon from the sidelines.

Matt Targett is fit again and made the bench at the City Ground, with he and Kelly the only defenders named among the substitutes for the win.

Alex Murphy has made Howe's squad six times in recent weeks but is yet to feature for the senior side this term.

Meanwhile, Charlie McArthur and Cathal Heffernan, both 19, have been the centre-back pairing of choice for Newcastle's under-21s of late.

However, it remains to be seen whether either will be trusted with a spot in the senior side just yet.

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