CHRIS WOOD will make his Newcastle United debut in this afternoon's home game with Watford.

Wood goes straight into the Magpies' starting side as one of three changes to the team that kicked off last weekend's FA Cup third-round defeat to Cambridge.

Jamaal Lascelles returns to the heart of the back four, while a fit-again Paul Dummett is also back in the backline as he makes his first appearance since the final day of last season, when Newcastle won at Fulham.

Emil Krafth, Matt Ritchie and Jacob Murphy drop out of the Magpies' team, with all three named amongst the substitutes.


NEWCASTLE (4-2-3-1): Dubravka; Trippier, Schar, Lascelles, Dummett; Shelvey, S Longstaff; Fraser, Joelinton, Saint-Maximin; Wood.

Subs: Darlow (gk), Gillespie (gk), Ritchie, Lewis, Krafth, Murphy, Almiron, Willock, Anderson.

WATFORD (4-3-3): Foster; Ngakia, Cathcart, Samir, Kamara; Kucka, Sissoko, Kayembe; Dennis, King, Pedro.

Subs: Bachmann (gk), Cleverley, Sema, Tufan, Femenia, Kabasele, Hernandez, Sierralta, Morris.