Two of Newcastle United’s summer signings featured against Liverpool on Sunday, but the most recent in Lewis Hall was nowhere to be seen.
When team news dropped at 3.30pm, Eddie Howe‘s fifth signing of the summer was not involved.
It was Newcastle’s first game since Hall had arrived on loan from Chelsea, with the 18-year-old set to join permanently next summer for £28million. This was his first chance to make his Toon debut, and there were even calls for him to start against Jurgen Klopp’s side.
However, that did not happen. Instead, Dan Burn continued at left-back and Hall did not even make the bench.
Now the Newcastle manager has explained his decision, and it makes much more sense as to why he was not involved against Liverpool.
Eddie Howe admits Lewis Hall is not match fit
Following the 2-1 defeat to Liverpool, Howe spoke to the Chronicle. He addressed Hall’s absence.
“He’s trained with us, but he’s not played a game during pre-season,” he said.
“He’s only trained, so he’s some way short of being match fit.”
Newcastle fans must wait to see Hall in action
Based on Howe’s comments, it might be a while before we see Hall in action. The Toon boss seems pretty adamant that he is not fit enough to play for his side at this moment in time, and we know how physically demanding it is to play for an Eddie Howe team.
Obviously fans want to see the 18-year-old play as soon as possible. Supporters always want to see a new signing and discover if they really are worth the investment.
But with Hall, a lot of patience will be required. He is still incredibly young, and does not have a lot of senior experience. He excelled when he played for Chelsea last season, but was far from a first-team regular.
Even when Hall is fit, he will be competing with two players for a place in the starting XI. Not only will he be trying to oust Burn but he will also need to get ahead of Matt Targett.
While he was a smart signing, Toon fans might have to wait to see what Hall is truly capable of in a black and white shirt.
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