Eddie Howe’s latest comments suggest that Newcastle United will not receive any injury boosts ahead of their game against Manchester United on Saturday.
The Magpies are still in the midst of an injury crisis, with Eddie Howe unable to name much of a substitutes bench in recent weeks. Against Chelsea he had three goalkeepers and a bunch of kids, while against PSG he couldn’t even name a full bench.
Next up for Newcastle is Man United at St James’ Park, as the big games just keep on coming. Howe’s side will be full of confidence after their previous two displays, but they will not be boosted by any returning players.
The likes of Sean Longstaff and Joe Willock have been struggling for fitness since the defeat to Bournemouth, and the latest comments from Howe suggest that the duo will not feature against Man United on Saturday night.
Eddie Howe shares injury update on Sean Longstaff and Joe Willock
Howe has spoke to the media ahead of Newcastle’s game against Man United. He has provided updates on Longstaff and Willock, suggesting that they are at least a couple of weeks away from recovering from their respective ankle and Achilles injuries.
“Sean and Joe aren’t long-term injuries,” he told Newcastle World.
“We’re hopeful we can get them back. The problem is, two or three weeks at this stage seems a like a lifetime because of the amount of games. At any other stage of the season, it wouldn’t have been too bad.
“Very difficult to give you a definitive time on both players but they’re not too bad.”
Newcastle midfield looks set to be unchanged vs Man United
With Longstaff and Willock seemingly out, it looks like Newcastle will have to go with the same midfield that played against Chelsea and PSG. That means another probable start for Lewis Miley, who has been playing brilliantly at the age of 17.
It is a shame to hear that Longstaff is probably still not fit to return. It had been hoped that the 26-year-old would make his comeback against Man United, but that suddenly does not appear to be the case.
As for Willock, this fresh setback is such a shame after missing so much of the season already.
Howe’s comments suggest that the duo are going to be missing for a couple more weeks, which is a major concern with Newcastle playing twice a week between now and the end of the year.
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