Newcastle United manger Eddie Howe has confirmed one player who will not be available against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
The Magpies have plenty of injury problems right now, and will continue to be without the likes of Joelinton, Nick Pope and Sven Botman against Tottenham Hotspur this weekend. Sandro Tonali will also be absent, as he continues to serve his suspension for betting.
Eddie Howe’s squad is massively stretched right now, at a time when the players are doing all they can to qualify for Europe. The likes of Sean Longstaff are playing through the pain barrier, but one of his teammates is set for a rest according to the manager.
Newcastle midfielder to miss Tottenham game on Saturday
Ahead of Newcastle United’s Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur, Howe has spoke to the media.
He provided an update on the fitness of Joe Willock, after the 24-year-old was forced off during the first half of the win over Fulham last weekend.
The midfielder was not seen in any of the club’s training photos this week, casting doubt over his availability against Tottenham, and now Howe has confirmed that he will not be involved.
“Joe has been to see another specialist to check on the progress of his Achilles, which has been problematic for him,” he said.
“The feedback was positive. For Tottenham, I don’t think he will be available for us. We need to make sure the long-term prognosis for him is positive so he may need some rest.”
Joe Willock injury gives Newcastle youngster a chance
With Willock set to be unavailable, that means there will be at least one change to the Toon lineup that started the game against Fulham at Craven Cottage last week.
Howe is going to be forced to change his midfield, and there is really only one option to replace Willock.
His injury should lead to Elliot Anderson returning to the starting XI, which will be very exciting for Newcastle fans. The 21-year-old has looked excellent since returning from a back injury, and we recently wrote that he should be a regular starter for the rest of the season.
With Willock struggling for fitness, there is a chance that Anderson could be just that. He looks certain to start against Spurs alongside Bruno Guimaraes and Sean Longstaff.
The only other option is Joe White, who has never started a competitive game in his Newcastle career yet. Alternatively, Howe could tweak his system so that he only uses two centre-midfielders. But that feels incredibly unlikely given the lack of availability elsewhere.
Newcastle’s squad becomes more and more stretched each week, and Willock is the latest to fall during what has been a very frustrating season for the former Arsenal player.
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