Newcastle United could be about to welcome two key players back from injury.
It has been reported that Alexander Isak and Joe Willock are back in training, as the Magpies prepare for Saturday night’s game away to Arsenal.
It is going to be a really tough game for Eddie Howe’s side, so it would be a huge boost if either or both of them were available.
Seeing Joe Willock back will be particularly exciting, as he has endured a massively frustrating season. The £25million man has missed so much football due to injury, with an Achilles problem proving to be a massive issue.
He has been a big miss, but it looks like he is now closing in on a return. That is excellent news for Howe, but it could also mean danger for one of Newcastle’s regular starters.
Newcastle could soon make midfield change
Once Willock is back to full fitness, he has to be a regular in the Newcastle XI. We have missed him so much, with no one capable of replicating his athleticism in and out of possession.
That will mean one of the Magpies’ current midfielders will have to come out of the team, and it certainly is not going to be Bruno Guimaraes.
It is therefore a toss up between Lewis Miley and Sean Longstaff – two Geordies who have not really complimented each other this season.
The temptation will be to take Miley out given how much he has had to play at 17, but it is Longstaff who should be more worried.
Sean Longstaff could lose his place in Newcastle XI
Despite playing more than expected, Miley has not wavered. He was outstanding against Bournemouth, and one of few Toon players who deserved any major praise for their performance that day.
In contrast, Longstaff was largely anonymous. The 26-year-old is not having the same kind of impact he did last season, when he was a key cog in the Newcastle United machine.
Now Longstaff is a bit of a passenger, and he should be worried about his place in the side with Willock’s comeback looming large.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
