Matthias Jaissle faces a big decision on his matchday squad after some positive injury news

Newcastle United head coach Matthias Jaissle faces a huge dilemma this weekend when he names his matchday squad for Saturday's game at Fulham.

The Magpies boss knows his side must enter the November international break on a positive note after back-to-back defeats to Everton, and with some hugely difficult fixtures on the horizon.

United could be boosted by the return of Mathias Fernandez-Pardo and Lewis Miley to the squad, with the pair missing the last three games through illness and injury respectively.

However, while their inclusion will be a major bonus for Jaissle, it will also force him into making a tough call over who gets a place on the bench. And it could mean £35.5m summer signing Aladji Bamba is cut from the matchday squad.

The young Frenchman has barely featured since arriving from Monaco in the summer transfer window, with Joelinton, Nico Gonzalez, Sean Steur and Miley being preferred in the central midfield roles.

He has been a constant presence on the bench, but has been restricted to just 27 minutes of Premier League football, with his last outing coming in the dying stages of the 2-1 win over Hull City.

Jaissle will have to find two places in his squad if Fernandez-Pardo and Miley return, with Jacob Ramsey's suspension taking care of one of those spots.

Make sure you never miss the latest Newcastle United news and opinion by making Chronicle Live one of your Google preferred sources.

Bamba would appear to be the obvious candidate to step down from the squad which faced Everton, but Jaissle could face an even bigger decision against Arsenal after the international break.

While future injuries are inevitable, Ramsey will return for the visit of the Gunners, with full-back Tino Livramento also close to involvement.

That would require a further two players to drop out, with the focus falling on either Malick Thiaw or Sven Botman, with one of forwards Jacob Murphy, Yoane Wissa and Bazoumana Toure potentially under threat.

Of course the odds on Jaissle having a full squad to pick from are slim, but should Bamba and Toure be the men to make way, it would call into question Newcastle's summer transfer policy which saw both arrive for a combined £77m.

Botman was handed a new deal over the summer and yet faces a battle to stay in the squad once Livramento is fit, with current first-team centre-backs Fabian Schar and Dan Burn both out of contract in the summer.

These are the decisions head coaches are paid to make, but he could be set for some difficult conversations in the coming weeks.