Eddie Howe's side will aim to leapfrog the Seagulls, currently one place above the Magpies via goal difference, with a victory at St. James' Park and this will be the second time Bankes has officiated a fixture involving Newcastle this term.

The Lancashire whistler was the man in the middle for United's 3-1 defeat against Fulham last month, handing out six yellow cards at Craven Cottage but booking no United players that afternoon.

The 42-year-old, who showed his first Premier League red card to former Newcastle loanee Valentino Lazaro during a 1-0 away defeat against Crystal Palace in February 2020, also took charge of the Magpies' 2-2 draw against West Ham United in October 2023, booking six players at the London Stadium, including Sean Longstaff, Bruno Guimarães and Miguel Almirón.

2023/24 stats

Games (all competitions): 11

Yellow cards issued: 58

Red cards issued: 1

Assistants:

Assistant referees: Eddie Smart and Nick Greenhalgh

Fourth official: James Bell

VAR: Tony Harrington

Assistant VAR: Constantine Hatzidakis