Newcastle team news: van Hecke and Igor Julio available

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Albion will look to make it back-to-back wins at the Amex on Sunday.

Charlie Hanson

2025-05-01T10:00+01:00

Jan Paul van Hecke missed Saturday's win over West Ham. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Albion will be looking to secure a second consecutive Premier League win when they take on Newcastle United on Sunday, kick-off 2pm.

Team news

Jan Paul van Hecke has made 30 Premier League appearances so far this campaign. 📷 by James Boardman.

Fabian Hurzeler confirmed that Jan Paul van Hecke is available to start against the Magpies on Sunday, as well as providing an update on Joel Veltman, Igor Julio, Kaoru Mitoma and Adam Webster.

"Jan Paul is ready to start. He trained yesterday and after training he immediately came to me and said he wants to play.

"Joel Veltman is an option to start. He and the others have had a longer phase where they weren't able to play, but they're ready to start. The same for Igor Julio, the same for Kaoru Mitoma. We have more options now.

"Adam Webster joined [in training] yesterday, so he will be also maybe be an option to be in the squad. Everything is looking a little bit more positive."

Fabian's thoughts

Match facts

Newcastle are winless in all seven of their away Premier League games against Brighton (D4 L3), the joint-most they have visited an opponent in the competition without ever winning (also 7 v Watford & Wimbledon). It’s the outright most Brighton have faced a side without losing at home in the Premier League.

Following their 1-0 win in October, Brighton could complete their third league double over Newcastle, after 1978-79 (second tier) and 2020-21 (Premier League).

Brighton have already beaten Newcastle twice in all competitions this season, 1-0 in the reverse Premier League fixture and 2-1 in the FA Cup fifth round. The last side they won three games against in a single campaign were Wycombe Wanderers in 2009-10, while they have never beaten an opponent three times in a season as a top-flight side.

Brighton are one of two sides in the Premier League this season who’ve both scored and conceded 55+ goals (56 for, 55 against), along with Spurs. Since losing 1-0 to Everton in January, each of their last 11 matches has seen at least three goals scored with 45 in total (4.1 per game).

Newcastle United have won 19 Premier League matches this season and are looking to win 20 in a season for the first time since 2002-03 under Sir Bobby Robson (21). Eddie Howe would also become the first English manager since Frank Lampard with Chelsea in 2019-20 to win 20 Premier League games in a season.

Since 14 December, no side has won more Premier League matches than Newcastle United (P19 W14 D0 L5), while champions Liverpool are the only teams to score more goals in that time (51) than the Magpies have (46).

Brighton and Hove Albion have won four Premier League matches when they’ve trailed this season, their most ever in a single campaign in the competition, while the 17 points they’ve gained from losing positions is also their most in a season.

Under Eddie Howe, Newcastle United have won 27 Premier League matches by a margin of three or more goals. Since his first game in November 2021, the only side with more is Manchester City (38), while Howe has the most of these wins in Premier League history among Englishmen (38 – also 11 with Bournemouth), two more than the next best (Harry Redknapp, 36).

Alexander Isak has scored 22 Premier League goals this season, the most by a Newcastle player since Alan Shearer in 2003-04 (22), while Shearer was the last player with more (23 in 2001-02). Brighton are the only side he’s faced more than once without scoring against, however (4 games, 321 minutes and 15 shots).

Kaoru Mitoma has scored in each of his last two Premier League appearances for Brighton, both as a substitute, the sixth time he’s scored in back-to-back games in the competition, though he’s never scored in three in a row.

Match officials