Eddie Howe shares fresh Newcastle injury concern on top of Fabian Schar worry

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Eddie Howe gave an update on the fitness issues currently facing his squad, following Newcastle United’s friendly clash with Chelsea.

Newcastle United were held to a 1-1 draw by Chelsea in a pre-season friendly on Wednesday night. During the match, Fabian Schar was withdrawn from the action with a suspected hamstring strain.

Howe played down the seriousness of that injury, and took the time to discuss the other players in his squad currently working their way back to full fitness. The Newcastle boss discussed the work being done by Sean Longstaff, Joe Willock, and Javier Manquillo to get themselves into match shape.

As quoted by Chronicle Live, the Newcastle boss said: “Sean Longstaff is still not training with us but we anticipate he will be back pretty soon. Joe Willock is a similar position, he is not fully training with us. Javier Manquillo isn’t training with us at the moment. I think that’s about it.”

The impact of Manquillo’s absence

Manquillo missed the final two matches of last season with a knock. Whilst he has been on the pitch already this summer in the course of Newcastle’s USA tour, this update from Howe suggests he’s unlikely to return to the action again in the immediate future. He will almost certainly miss out on the upcoming friendly clash with Brighton.

The 29-year-old isn’t a regular starter at St James’ Park, but fulfils a useful role in the squad, providing back up to Kieran Trippier. His absence could put additional pressure on the 32-year-old right-back.

What’s more, the lack of a proper pre-season can impact a player significantly during the season itself. Manquillo, once he is fully fit again, will have to work hard to bring his sharpness up to the level of his teammates.

The same goes for Willock and Longstaff. Like Manquillo, the pair already have some catching up to do, and may miss out on the Brighton game. The Magpies are already well-stocked in the middle of the park though, especially with the recent arrival of Sandro Tonali. Howe will be able to cope without having Willock and Longstaff to call on.

It will be interesting to see how the manager changes up his selection for the Brighton fixture, with plenty of the club’s youngster having already caught the eye this summer.