Newcastle will be keen to continue their good run of form when they visit Turf Moor on Saturday but it could be difficult for Steve Bruce to cope without one of his best players this season.

Injury to Allan Saint-Maximin means the winger faces a month out injured, and the timing couldn’t be worse as the Magpies face a busy festive period, especially as he could have proved the difference against Burnley.

However, the Clarets have not been as solid defensively this campaign as they often are, with 29 goals conceded in 16 league outings, having also lost five games out of nine at home.

That should act as encouragement for Newcastle, particularly as they have found some goalscoring form in recent games. They initially failed to score more than one goal in a single game until their 12th match of the season – the clash against West Ham.

Jonjo Shelvey has found a new lease of life under Bruce and already has five league goals to boast of this season. To put that into perspective, he managed just two league strikes combined in the previous two years.

As a result, Newcastle should be able to cope with Saint-Maximin if they alter their style a little, especially since a large portion of their goals have come from defenders and from set-pieces – with seven out of 17 scored via that route.

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Christian Atsu offers a like-for-like replacement for the Frenchman too and he is more than able to step up, while the Magpies’ boss has another big decision to make in regards to who leads the line.

Joelinton has really struggled of late and despite being dropped against Sheffield United he followed that up by achieving just 60% pass accuracy against Southampton, managing one shot throughout the match.

Andy Carroll, by contrast, has the ability to make himself a nuisance against a physical Burnley defence, and if he can replicate the eight aerial duels he won in 30 minutes against the Saints then he should be able to get his team higher up the pitch and into attacking areas with greater regularity.

It will be interesting to see how Bruce operates on Saturday, and whether his side will look to retain possession more often than usual. The Clarets have averaged the lowest amount of possession in the Premier League other than the Magpies, with 42%.

It is unlikely Bruce will sway from the system that has worked for him over the last few games, though, and that means the game will likely be won in both boxes, so finding a replacement for the injured Ciaran Clark will be crucial.

Luckily for Newcastle, they have an international in the form of Fabian Schar to come in. The defender is highly regarded by many in the north-east and his experience could prove vital in handling and stopping Chris Wood, who has been Burnley’s biggest threat with six league goals this term.

The 27-year-old faces a tough task to stop the Burnley striker but should he keep him quiet, then Newcastle will have a great platform to pick up another three points.