CONFIDENCE BOOSTER AHEAD OF GOOD RUN OF GAMES

The indicators are on, but will Newcastle United finally turn the corner after a morale-boosting display against Chelsea last weekend?

Tomorrow's trip to the Etihad Stadium could well determine that. Defeat, and a heavy one, to Manchester City could inflict more damage to fractured confidence which had shown signs of repair seven days ago.

Conversely, another improved showing from Steve McClaren’s players on the back of that Chelsea point would bode well for the future; particularly with a run of fixtures in which the team would hope to have made huge leaps up the Premier League table afterwards.

After today Newcastle have Norwich, Sunderland, Stoke, Bournemouth, Leicester and Crystal Palace on the horizon, so McClaren will have looked at those and targeted a climb towards mid-table and even beyond before December.

While leaving the Etihad might seem fanciful after City’s return to winning ways in midweek against Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League, Newcastle will know that back-to-back defeats in the Premier League beforehand prove they are far from invincible.

THE KEY MAN TO TORMENT CITY’S BACKLINE

With Vincent Kompany still sidelined with calf trouble, Aleksandar Mitrovic should be looking at the Manchester City defence believing there is a weakness to exploit.

There is still a sense of ‘getting to know you’ about the Nicolas Otamendi and Martin Demichelis pairing, particularly with Eliaquim Mangala unlikely to return to action either. Mitrovic, with his uncompromising style, could cause problems for a City backline which has conceded six in the last two league games.

Even against Sunderland in the Capital One Cup – when City were four up by half-time –holes were exposed in the visitors’ backline at the Stadium of Light and Fabio Borini should have scored a couple.

If Mitrovic can put his strength to good use by holding up play and he has support from those behind him, like Ayoze Perez, then Newcastle might actually cause more problems than many would think of a team sitting second bottom.

WHAT SHAPE IS TIOTE IN?

Jack Colback is not 100 per cent fit and Cheik Tiote has recovered from a knee problem. It would be a bit of a gamble to throw Tiote straight in to the starting line-up for the first time this season, but McClaren does feel he is fit to figure if required.

At some stage the Ivorian would like to be back in the thick of things in the Premier League, after just two substitute appearances against Southampton and Manchester United in August. He also played against Northampton in the Capital One Cup.

But McClaren is thought to have reservations about Tiote’s commitment to the cause so if the midfielder has intentions of staying at St James’ Park then he needs to get back in to the side soon and impress before the transfer window opens in January.

Otherwise Tiote’s time on Tyneside could be up.