Eddie Howe boost as two stars look ready to step up and replace Newcastle duo after travel nightmare

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The international break is over and Newcastle United will need to be at their very best down at Brighton on Saturday.

Eddie Howe’s side entered the international break in good form after Newcastle United recorded wins over Union Saint-Gilloise and Nottingham Forest in the Champions League and Premier League respectively.

However, Saturday brings a different test entirely. Indeed, Howe takes his side down to Brighton – which has not been a happy hunting ground for the club over the years. 

Newcastle haven’t won in the League there since both teams were promoted from the Championship in 2017.

Hopefully, they can turn things around. The Newcastle United squad appears to have avoided any serious injury setbacks over the international break, although the calendar has not been kind to Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton.

The Brazilian duo have had to travel out to the Far East for international friendlies against South Korea and Japan before coming back to England for the Brighton game.

With that in mind, two players need to be ready to step up for Newcastle on Saturday.

• READ MORE: Early Newcastle United predicted team vs Brighton as Eddie Howe has four injury concerns

Pressure on Jacob Ramsey and Lewis Miley ahead of Newcastle United vs Brighton

It would not be a surprise to see Guimaraes start on Saturday, such has been his appearance record at Newcastle.

However, Howe has constantly been speaking about the need for rotation for this season. Indeed, he does have the squad available to do that for perhaps the first time ever as Newcastle United manager. 

If the Brazilian duo need rest after a nightmarish journey, Jacob Ramsey and Lewis Miley are potential options as replacements.

Both players are thought to be relatively free of injury and could feasibly sit alongside Sandro Tonali in central midfield. 

Newcastle are very excited about Ramsey’s potential, while Howe has consistently defended Miley from criticism.

Joe Willock is another option, although he has struggled for game time even with the rotation policy in mind.

In an ideal world, Newcastle would play their strongest XI. That, however, isn’t always possible and the sheer amount of travel involved for Guimaraes and Joelinton cannot be ignored.

Making matters even worse, Globo Esporte claimed that their flight out to Seoul from Amsterdam before the games was forced to make an emergency U-turn due to a broken window. 

As such, Ramsey and Miley have to be ready to take their chances if called upon.

Newcastle United injury updates on Jacob Ramsey and Lewis Miley  

Ramsey has recovered from an ankle injury for Newcastle, having been forced to sit out of action since a draw away at Leeds in August on his first start for the club.

The summer signing was in contention for the win over Forest, but Howe confirmed that he did not see much point in forcing him back into action so quickly.

Meanwhile, Miley pulled out of the England U21 squad with a small calf injury but there is a hope that he will not miss any club action.

It’s a big test for Newcastle United on Saturday, particularly after an international break. Ramsey and Miley need to prove they really can replace the two Brazilians if and when they are needed.