Newcastle United returned to Premier League action after the November international break with a host of problems and worries echoing in supporters' memories.
The return of our dynamic fullback duo would help, and the manager has had a good spell reviewing those stuttering early-season performances in minute detail.
In Howe we trust, of course, but it would be too much to ask for a win against second-placed City, his personal nemesis.
OR WOULD IT!?!?!
Pod On The Tyne: an independent NUFC podcast