The New Year’s Day clash in the Potteries sees United seek to start 2018 on the front foot, and Manchester-born Kavanagh will take charge of it – the first time he’ll have overseen a Newcastle game this season.

So far this term, Kavanagh – who was promoted to the Select Group of Referees earlier this year – has officiated in the Premier League, Championship, League One and the EFL Cup. Monday’s game will be his 16th outing of the season.

In that time, he has shown 49 yellow cards – at least one in every game he has refereed – and just the one red, to Blackburn Rovers’ Dominic Samuel in their 3-0 win over Portsmouth in October.

He will be assisted by Peter Kirkup and Sian Massey-Ellis at Stoke, while Craig Pawson will be the fourth official.