Bruce: Newcastle face a critical run of fixtures
After facing their manager's former club Aston Villa on Monday, Newcastle host Manchester City a week on Saturday before a hectic schedule in December.
"I said coming into this run of games, after the international break, this next five or six weeks is probably the defining part of the season," boss Steve Bruce said.
"The games come thick and fast. I think we've got six or seven games in December, which is ridiculous, so it will define the season and where we're going to be."