Newcastle United will hope to move another step closer to regaining their Premier League status when they host Leeds United at St James’ Park on Good Friday, but they might have to do it without top goalscorer Dwight Gayle.

The 27-year-old, who has scored 22 goals in the Championship this season, went off in the 29th minute of their 2-1 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough last weekend with a hamstring problem.

The club confirmed that the injury would be assessed earlier in the week, and he now seems set to miss the visit of Garry Monk’s side.

Daryl Murphy replaced him against the Owls, while fellow striker Aleksandar Mitrovic came on in the second half as Rafa Benitez’s men looked to rescue a point.

The Spaniard will need to make a choice between the two for the spot up top on Good Friday as they look to close on promotion.

Here are THREE reasons Mitrovic should get the nod over Murphy…

He has a point to prove

Football Soccer Britain - Newcastle United v Preston North End - EFL Cup Fourth Round - St James' Park - 25/10/16
Newcastle United's Aleksandar Mitrovic celebrates after the match
Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Lee Smith
Livepic
EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact y

Following relegation to the Championship last season, Mitrovic might have expected that he would be a first team regular this term despite missing the first four matches of the campaign through suspension.

It hasn’t quite turned out like that however, with the Serbian making just 24 appearances in all competitions with with many of those coming from the substitutes’ bench.

While his lack of outings suggest that he could be on his way out of St James’ Park in the summer with Rafa Benitez seemingly unable to completely trust him on the pitch, he will want one last chance to prove that he has a future if the club is promoted.

He impressed last weekend

Despite it being his first appearance since February and with only 12 minutes to make an impact on the pitch, Mitrovic impressed as a substitute in the 2-1 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday last weekend.

The 22-year-old came on and instantly caused problems for the Owls defenders, while he also had a large part to play in Jonjo Shelvey’s late goal as his acrobatic effort was saved by Keiren Westwood, before the midfielder smashed the ball home.

He can be more of a nuisance

While Murphy has proved that he is a reliable and consistent performer at this level, you get the feeling that Mitrovic has the ability to cause more problems for the Leeds defenders in what is likely to be an electric atmosphere in St James’ Park.

Kyle Bartley and Pontus Jansson have formed a strong partnership for Garry Monk’s side this season, and Benitez may feel that the Serbian could put his body on the line and ruffle their feathers a little more than the Republic of Ireland international could.

Do you agree, Magpies fans? Let us know below.