Newcastle United full-back Javier Manquillo suffered an injury in the 1-0 win against Aston Villa. He was covering at left-back for Matt Targett, who couldn’t play against his parent club.
Both he and Kieran Trippier picked up injuries that match, damaging the Toon’s full-back options. He missed the game against West Ham too. Eddie Howe discussed his availability for the clash with Brentford in today’s press conference (via Newcastle’s Twitter account).
“Manquillo came through a couple of training sessions this week. I wouldn’t say he’s 100 per cent fit but he’s certainly getting closer to being fit and available.”
Hopefully Manquillo can recover as quickly as possible, he’s a useful asset for Newcastle
Despite Kieran Trippier and Matt Targett being the go to full-backs when picking the Toon’s best XI, Manquillo is a useful asset. With Trippier currently injured for what will likely be for some time, Manquillo is a solid backup option.
Furthermore, the Spaniard can fill in at left-back too. This makes him versatile on top of that. Some fans will be hoping he will return as soon as possible.
A standout performance of his was against Leeds United in a 1-0 win. He coped very well against the tricky and skilful Raphinha. Also, he won the free-kick that Jonjo Shelvey scored. The 27-year-old ran down the left side and was fouled on the edge of the box.
With it looking unlikely he’ll be starting, the Magpies may have to rely on Emil Krafth. Who played well in the win over Aston Villa. However, he looked vulnerable against West Ham last weekend.
Overall he’s had a disappointing spell on Tyneside. Seeing him possibly on the teamsheet doesn’t fill some fans with much hope.
However, understandably Howe won’t want to rush Manquillo back into the side too quickly. It could potentially make his current injury even worse, putting him on the sidelines for longer.
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