Newcastle United are gearing up to face Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final in March.
The Magpies have a chance of winning their first piece of silverware since 1969 when they travel to Wembley Stadium, but it won’t be an easy task by any means.
Newcastle United will be without Anthony Gordon for the Carabao Cup final, pending an appeal from Eddie Howe’s side. Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher called Gordon’s sending-off ‘unwise‘ and suggested that the chances of Newcastle winning the appeal were very slim.
Howe also has injury concerns within the squad which could have a huge impact on his team selection at Wembley. Lewis Hall missed Newcastle’s defeat to Brighton on Sunday after it was revealed he suffered an ankle injury against Liverpool a few days prior.
Newcastle have been without Sven Botman for the past month after he came off with a knee problem against Arsenal at St James’ Park. There’s no news on whether the pair will be available for the final. There were small concerns for top scorer Alexander Isak after he went off against Brighton but Howe confirmed it was more due to fatigue than anything serious.
With the cup final on the horizon, an official announcement has been made ahead of the Magpies’ trip to the capital which fans may not like.
EFL make refereeing appointments ahead of Carabao Cup final
It has now been confirmed who will be officiating the cup final – seven officials have been selected for several different roles.
Refereeing the game will be John Brookes, who took charge of Newcastle’s Premier League and Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg wins against Arsenal – Brooks brandished seven yellow cards between the two games but made no controversial decisions of note.
However, Brooks refereed Newcastle’s game against Liverpool in the 2023/24 season. In that game, he sent off Virgil van Dijk for a foul on Isak.
Brooks probably should have also sent off Trent Alexander-Arnold in the game as well after the England international threw the ball away and then put in a harsh challenge on Gordon. Newcastle went on to lose the game after Darwin Nunez scored a brace off the bench.
On VAR is Stuart Atwell, who has taken up the same role for eight previous Newcastle games. The bad news for Newcastle is that Atwell was also on VAR for the defeat against Liverpool last season, seemingly missing the moments which should have seen Alexander-Arnold sent off.
Atwell has taken the reigns on VAR for four games between Newcastle and Liverpool since 2020, including the thrilling 3-3 draw at St James’ Park in December where he seemingly missed Van Dijk’s off-ball elbow on Gordon.
Newcastle must still take the game to Liverpool
The circumstances mean that fans will be pessimistic going into the final, talk of key players missing for the game and a suspension for another is always going to spread doubt amongst the fanbase.
Howe will be aware of how big an opportunity this is for Newcastle to win a trophy. Newcastle legend Kevin Keegan believes Newcastle can win the Carabao Cup, but hopes Liverpool will win the Premier League.
- READ MORE – How to watch Newcastle United vs Liverpool in Carabao Cup final: TV channel, live stream and team news
Newcastle’s trophy history could soon be something fans can talk about with much more pride, but it’s down to Howe and the players to deliver that for them.
The Magpies will be backed by over 30,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in March in what is undoubtedly one of the most important games for the club in recent years.
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