Newcastle United are back in action again on Tuesday night, and Eddie Howe has revealed how his players are in terms of fitness ahead of the game.
Coming off the back of a 4-1 win over Everton on Saturday evening, Newcastle United are full of confidence and momentum ahead of facing Tottenham.
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The likes of Malick Thiaw, Nick Woltemade, and Lewis Miley all impressed at the weekend. Some players were notably absent, of course, with the Newcastle injury list proving detrimental.
Eddie Howe has already admitted Newcastle are stretched due to competing across different competitions, but it’s not all bad news on the injury front.
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Newcastle United injury update ahead of Spurs
Speaking to the press (via the Club website) ahead of Tuesday’s clash against Spurs at St. James’ Park, Howe was asked if the players returned from Merseyside in good shape, and he had good news on that front.
Howe said: “There are no fresh injuries, I believe. We will take a good look at them today. But it was a positive physical performance. It wasn’t the biggest game in terms of load [against Everton].”
Going into more detail, Howe suggested Sven Botman’s situation is a little less clear, adding: “Sven is going to see a specialist to get a definitive opinion on whether he needs an injection or just rest for a few days before resuming training.”
Finally, the Newcastle United manager touched on the progress of Yoane Wissa, and it sounds like good news for the striker.
“Wissa participated in an 11 v 11 training game before Everton,” Howe said. “He will probably do another one this week, and then we will see how close he is.”
“He is doing well. Everything is positive. But he will be back in the team when we think he’s really ready, without putting extra pressure on his fitness.”
Is Sven Botman issue a long-term concern?
Missing a player of Botman’s quality is never ideal, but Newcastle’s defensive line has adapted well in recent weeks. The impact of Thiaw in particular has helped, while Fabian Schar has stepped up when called upon.
Indeed, this injury has come at a bad time for the player. Botman has spoken to Howe about his game time at Newcastle, and this setback will only serve to make it more difficult for him to get back in the team when he’s fit.
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Obviously, that’s a nice problem for Howe to have. Squad depth is hugely important, and Newcastle are struggling on that front, largely due to injuries. When Botman is back, Howe will have some decisions to make, but it certainly doesn’t look like the Magpies are missing him all that much right now.
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