Newcastle build-up: Dedic set to start, Jaissle under pressure ahead of Fulham trip
Newcastle head to Craven Cottage on Saturday with team news and manager pressure dominating the build-up to the Fulham clash.
Sports Mole has focused on the hosts, running the rule over how Fulham might line up for the Premier League meeting (Sports Mole), giving Newcastle fans an early look at the opposition before the weekend trip to west London.
On the Newcastle side, The Sun reports that Amar Dedic is expected to start despite being questioned by police over a bow and arrows controversy, with the paper suggesting Matthias Jaissle is more concerned with getting his strikers "hitting the target" than any off-field distraction (The Sun).
That same outlet also carries a more serious line on the manager's own position, with Alan Shearer said to fear that Jaissle could be sacked if Newcastle fail to get a result at Fulham, following what's described as a "worrying" run since his £9m move from Saudi club Al-Ahli (The Sun). It paints Saturday's game as a significant one for the head coach regardless of the Dedic situation.
Elsewhere, the Shields Gazette reports on a separate blow landing just a day before the trip south, with only one Newcastle player named in England's squad for the upcoming Nations League matches against Croatia and Spain - fewer call-ups than many fans may have hoped for (Shields Gazette).
Taken together, the picture painted across the outlets is of a Newcastle side heading into a big game under scrutiny: a defender in the headlines for the wrong reasons but still expected to feature, a manager whose future could hinge on the result, and a lighter-than-expected England presence in the squad. All eyes now turn to how Jaissle's team respond at Craven Cottage.
Written with the help of AI, using the headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.
