Eddie Howe has provided a Newcastle United update on Friday that isn’t the best news for Nick Woltemade.
Newcastle United return to Premier League action on Sunday when they travel back to London to face Brentford.
Eddie Howe will be hoping the 2-0 Champions League victory over Club Athletic has buoyed his team after last weekend’s defeat to West Ham and that they can finally get their first league away win of the campaign.
A tough task has been made tougher, though, following Howe’s injury updates in his Friday press conference.
Lewis Hall was a welcome return on Wednesday but Howe has suggested he is not yet fit enough to start.
In even worse news, Anthony Gordon is expected to miss the match after his hip injury forced him off the field on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, William Osula will also be unavailable after an ankle injury meant he had to withdraw from the squad just before kick-off and Yoane Wissa is still not ready to make his debut.
Here’s what Howe had to say in his pre-match press conference.
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Anthony Gordon, William Osula and Lewis Hall injury updates
As well as giving his response to Sandro Tonali’s comments on his future this week, Howe was tasked with giving several injury updates ahead of the trip to the capital.
On Gordon, the manager said: “We don’t think it’s a serious injury. We are going to get him scanned and wait for the results.
“Good chance he misses out on Sunday, but we will see how he is today.”
Then on Osula, Wissa and Hall, he explained: “It is something he [Osula] has been feeling for a little bit but it has been functional and able to play.
“But he has had a scan and it told us to pull back a bit. It’s not serious but could be out for a few weeks.
“[Wissa’s] knee is feeling good, it is more a case of looking at his fitness and sharpness.
“He is in a good place to kick on but we need to get him in a position to be robust enough to help the team. I am sure he will be worth the wait.
“I have to be careful with him [Hall]. He has had a difficult period over the last few months but he is such an important player for us.”
Nick Woltemade isn’t getting a rest any time soon
Injuries to Gordon and Osula coupled with Wissa’s continued absence does not make for pretty reading for Nick Woltemade.
Though the giant German no doubt wants to play as much as possible, it’s not ideal that Newcastle now have no back-up option for him whatsoever.
That is unless you count Joelinton returning to his old role or Sean Neave after getting called up to the bench, though it’s hard to see Howe going with either option on the pitch.
Instead, Woltemade may well be tasked with playing every minute with the attacking options so depleted, which isn’t ideal given Howe has already claimed he’s been dealing with fatigue this season.
After taking the striker off at half-time of the shambolic defeat to West Ham, the manager said: “I think that with Nick, we’re well aware that we’ve thrust him into every single game near enough.
“I thought he looked a little bit fatigued and it’s a case of making the decision that I felt tried to benefit the team and Nick going forward because he’s carrying a lot of load on his shoulders, which I think if at any stage I feel he is fatigued, then I need to act and help him. So that was the thinking behind that one.”
If he was already feeling tired before, that’s only going to increase with no one on hand to help lighten the load. Newcastle just have to pray he doesn’t fall to an injury as well.
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