Report shares update on Longstaff and Murphy’s status ahead of Leicester

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Two of Newcastle United’s most important players in recent months are likely to miss tonight’s game against Leicester City.

Eddie Howe‘s side need just a point to secure Champions League football, but are set to be without two players who have gone from under the radar to pivotal figures as of late.

Joe Willock is definitely set to miss out with his hamstring injury – but he will not be replaced by either Sean Longstaff or Jacob Murphy.

Sean Longstaff expected to miss Leicester game

According to the Athletic, Longstaff still has not trained after sustaining an ankle injury in the win over Everton, and is expected to be unavailable for tonight’s game against Leicester.

That is a great shame, as the ‘underrated‘ 25-year-old would have been the obvious choice to replace Willock in midfield. Instead, that honour looks set to go to Elliot Anderson.

The youngster has big boots to fill in the middle of the park, especially considering how well Longstaff has done this season. His absence has been felt massively in recent weeks, and it is a shame that he will not feature in the final home game of the season.

Jacob Murphy is a major doubt for Newcastle

Another player who is on course to miss tonight’s game is Murphy. The Athletic state that he is unlikely to be fit, having also missed the win over Brighton.

While he did not play against the Seagulls, he was at St James’ Park to celebrate with his teammates after the game. You just know he will be doing the same if Newcastle get that elusive point to guarantee Champions League football.

The £12million winger has been a really important player for Newcastle in the final few weeks of the season, which is quite astonishing considering the level that the Magpies are playing at right now.

When Murphy first joined, he struggled for minutes under Rafa Benitez. It looked like he was a massive waste of money. Yet here we are in 2023 and Murphy has played a massive part in guiding Newcastle agonizingly close to the Champions League.

Even if Murphy was fit, he probably would not start against the Foxes tonight. That is because Miguel Almiron, who has replaced the 28-year-old in attack, was absolutely outstanding in the win over Brighton.