The international break has probably come at a bad time for Newcastle United.
Indeed, Newcastle appear to be over the early-season funk that saw them marooned in midtable in the Premier League, having turned a corner of late.
Eddie Howe’s side are now into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals and have beaten both Arsenal and Nottingham Forest, the latter away from home.
It represents quite the turnaround for the side, with the mood starting to get pretty low after defeats to Chelsea and Brighton.
Howe has tinkered with his system. Joe Willock has come into the midfield, with Joelinton moving out to the left wing and Anthony Gordon playing on the right.
Things changed again at Forest, with Gordon and Joelinton swapping places.
The Newcastle United manager certainly has a wealth of options on the wings, even if the lack of a natural right winger is reasonably frustrating.
Another player pushing for involvement is Harvey Barnes, who scored a late third at the City Ground in Sunday’s 3-1 victory.
After the game, Howe admitted Barnes is causing him something of a selection headache.
Eddie Howe admits he’s still trying to work out a plan for “outstanding” Newcastle player
Speaking to BBC Sport, Howe hailed Barnes as “outstanding” and revealed trying to work out a plan to get him into the starting lineup more regularly was on his mind.
“Harvey Barnes did what he does,” he said.
“He’s an outstanding player. Trying to find room for him in the team is something that I am conscious of. I’m really pleased he got that goal – I thought it was a fantastic finish.”
Harvey Barnes is an unsung hero at Newcastle this season
With Gordon impressing so much last season from the left and Joelinton undoubtedly one of Newcastle’s most important players, it’s natural Barnes would have to settle for a bench role.
While it would be fantastic to see him start more regularly, it just may not be possible.
Still, that doesn’t mean he cannot play a big role. He’s made a telling impact at times this season when it comes to creating chances and his ability to finish can hardly be doubted, as pundit Jamie Carragher said.
Gordon may get more regular plaudits but Barnes’ impact is not to be overlooked.
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