Newcastle United have been dealt a potential blow with defender Lewis Hall now set for a scan on an injury.
Newcastle United beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon as Eddie Howe piled on the misery for Ange Postecoglou.
Bruno Guimaraes fired Newcastle in front before Nick Woltemade converted from the penalty spot to seal a 2-0 win.
Newcastle beat Union Saint-Gilloise in midweek, and Howe will be delighted with two wins and two clean sheets following the late heartbreak against Arsenal.
Emil Krafth may now need to step up for Newcastle United
Howe will be a happy man right now, but he was dealt a blow before Sunday’s game.
Lewis Hall missed out on Newcastle’s win, as he has been sent for a scan on a hamstring injury.
Hall came off the bench against USG on Wednesday night, but is now sweating over a spell on the sidelines.
The timing couldn’t be much worse, as Newcastle recently lost Tino Livramento to an injury as well.
Howe is now down two full-backs, and that could catapult Emil Krafth into action.
Krafth has yet to feature in the Premier League this season, with the 31-year-old ultimately serving as Newcastle’s third-choice right-back behind Livramento and Kieran Trippier.
The Swede hasn’t been needed yet, but Newcastle’s potential lack of full-back options may leave Howe with no other choice.
Krafth is a right-back by trade, but Trippier can switch to the left side if absolutely needed, as Dan Burn has taken on a heavy workload so far this season.
£5million defender Krafth only started two Premier League games last season and has essentially become a ‘break glass in case of emergency’ defender at St James’ Park.
Newcastle will hope for positive news on Hall, but Howe may need to call on Krafth after the international break.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 9 |  SunderlandSunderland | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 11 |
| 10 |  Manchester UnitedManchester United | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 11 | -2 | 10 |
| 11 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 9 |
| 12 |  BrightonBrighton | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 9 |
| 13 |  Aston VillaAston Villa | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 7 | -1 | 9 |
Newcastle’s other defensive options amid Lewis Hall injury
Losing Livramento really hurts due to his ability to play at right-back or left-back, with Hall’s hamstring concern now compounding the woes.
Trippier and Burn will continue at right-back and left-back respectively, and Howe will be assessing his options.
Krafth is likely to be the next man up, though Alex Murphy can play as a left-back if required.
Newcastle signed Murphy from Galway United in 2022 and spent time on loan at Bolton Wanderers earlier this year.
The Irishman has only made two Premier League appearances but offers a natural left-footed option in Hall’s absence.
The forgotten man in this equation is Harrison Ashby, who joined Newcastle from West Ham United in 2023.
The right-back has spent the last two seasons out on loan, joining Championship sides Swansea City and Queens Park Rangers.
Now back with Newcastle, Ashby has never made a first-team appearance for the Magpies, and it would be a surprise to see him emerge now.
A permanent departure in 2026 looks likely for Ashby, who is unlikely to be in Howe’s plans, even with these ongoing full-back issues.
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