Jones Wary Of Newcastle Threat

As Manchester United prepare to face Newcastle United on Wednesday, Phil Jones is remaining cautious ahead of meeting a side that has sprung surprises throughout the season.

The Magpies' form has fluctuated during 2014/15, with commendable victories against Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham being dampened by 10 league losses. Despite Newcastle's indifferent campaign, a home win over Aston Villa last weekend has delivered a timely reminder of their capabilities, and Jones is fully aware of how tough a trip to St James' Park can be.

"It's a very difficult place to go, especially for a night game," the defender told MUTV. "It's a big crowd, big stadium, big pitch. It's always tricky up there as you don't know what to expect at times. Perhaps the unexpected is in their favour so we have to be wary of them and go into the game positively."

Last season's corresponding fixture produced a 4-0 success for the Reds, and Jones says Louis van Gaal's men can use that as motivation, but he added the Reds must keep an eye on Moussa Sissoko, highlighted as a driving force in Newcastle's midfield.

"I think Sissoko is a big player for them," the 23-year-old said. "He's a powerful runner, very aggressive and strong - he is probably their main man. We'll also be shown clips [from last season's match] on what was good about our performance and how we can improve. We dominated that game without being in the best of form. We went there and played well and won 4-0. Hopefully we can have a repeat of that."