Newcastle v Chelsea line-ups: Barkley starts as Conte makes major changes

[media-credit name=”©Action Plus” align=”alignnone” width=”1066″]Chelsea: Ross Barkley[/media-credit]

Ross Barkley starts for Chelsea at St James’ Park, as does Emerson Palmieri.

Boss Antonio Conte has made wholesale changes – seven in total.

Thibaut Courtois returns in goal for the Blues, Olivier Giroud is back in the side and leads the attack, while there are also recalls for Eden Hazard, Gary Cahill and Tiemoue Bakayoko.

It means Cesc Fabregas, Alvaro Morata, Antonio Rudiger, Marcos Alonso and Pedro drop to the bench for Chelsea’s final league game of the season.

Only a Chelsea win plus Liverpool losing at home to Brighton will see the Blues snatch a Champions League spot.

Newcastle are without the suspended Islam Slimani and the injured Ciaran Clark and Christian Atsu.

Kenedy, on loan from Chelsea, is ineligible to play against his parent club.

Jacob Murphy for Kenedy is the home side’s only change.

Newcastle: Dubravka, Yedlin, Lascelles, Lejeune, Dummett, Diame, Shelvey, Ritchie, Perez, Murphy, Gayle.
Subs: Darlow, Hayden, Manquillo, Joselu, Merino, Haidara, Gamez.

Chelsea: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Cahil; Moses, Barkley, Kante, Bakayoko, Emerson; Hazard, Giroud.
Subs: Caballero, Rudiger, Alonso, Fabregas, Willian, Pedro, Morata.