Newcastle defender Emil Krafth could face toughest test all season on Saturday

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Newcastle United defender Emil Krafth appears to have settled down a bit now following his summer move from Amiens.

The Sweden international endured a tricky debut against Norwich City which was a day to forget for everybody, but bounced back with decent showings against Tottenham Hotspur and Watford.

Krafth, who cost a reported £5 million (BBC Sport), is in the team at the moment ahead of Javier Manquillo, with DeAndre Yedlin still recovering from a groin injury.

The 25-year-old is likely to feature against Liverpool on Saturday, but will be seriously tested by the lively Sadio Mane.

TBR’s view

Krafth could be in for something of a baptism of fire, especially with the game being at Anfield where Mane generally always thrives.

The Senegal superstar is probably playing the best football of his career right now, which should alarm Krafth who is still adapting to English football.

Krafth has shown so far that he isn’t the quickest of full-backs, and Mane is obviously one of the most electric forwards in the Premier League.

There’s a chance he could well run rings around the Magpies newbie.

That said, a strong performance against the odds from Krafth would do his long-term starting prospects the world of good and certainly endear him to the Newcastle faithful.