The Magpies return to St. James' Park and face the Toffees for a second consecutive game after Thursday's Carabao Cup fourth round tie at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

This will be the second time Brooks has officiated a fixture involving United this season as the Leicestershire whistler oversaw Newcastle's 4-1 away defeat against Coventry City. He handed out two yellow cards that evening, booking Joelinton.

A FIFA listed referee since 2023, Brooks was the man in the middle for Newcastle's first game of the calendar year - a 2-0 win against Crystal Palace. He brandished four yellow cards at St. James' Park that day, booking former Magpie Anthony Gordon.

Brooks has shown three red cards in his last three Premier League matches as a referee, sending off Sunderland's Reinildo Mandava in a 2-0 defeat against Arsenal before dismissing Brentford pair Yehor Yarmoliuk and Vitaly Janelt in the Bees' 2-1 home loss against Liverpool.

2025/26 stats

Games (all competitions): 22

Yellow cards issued: 93

Red cards issued: 4

Assistants

Assistant referees: Nick Greenhalgh and Steve Meredith

Fourth official: Bobby Madley

VAR: Paul Howard

Assistant VAR: Stuart Burt