Newcastle United entered the international break on a high, reeling off three consecutive wins following an indifferent start to the season, but Eddie Howe has been dealing with defensive injury concerns during this pause in domestic fixtures.
Jamaal Lascelles, Emil Krafth and Sven Botman all are injured right now, while Dan Burn is suspended.
Newcastle are only a point off the UEFA Champions League places and the St. James’ Park faithful are anticipating a push for the Premier League top four.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 3 |  ChelseaChelsea | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 21 | 13 | 8 | 19 |
| 4 |  ArsenalArsenal | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 19 |
| 5 |  Nottm ForestNottingham Forest | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 19 |
| 6 |  BrightonBrighton | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 19 | 15 | 4 | 19 |
| 7 |  FulhamFulham | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 18 |
| 8 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 18 |
| 9 |  Aston VillaAston Villa | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 18 |
| 10 |  TottenhamTottenham | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 23 | 13 | 10 | 16 |
| 11 |  BrentfordBrentford | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 16 |
| 12 |  B’mouthBournemouth | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
Defensive issues could be a problem for the Magpies, which is why they are looking to strengthen that area in the January transfer window.
Newcastle United are monitoring Joel Ordonez
CaughtOffSide have reported that Newcastle are interested in signing Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez in the January transfer window.
Liverpool and Newcastle United are also keeping tabs on the 20-year-old Ecuador international midfielder.
Club Brugge are likely to demand €30 million (£25 million) in transfer fees for the youngster.
Who is Joel Ordonez?
Ordonez is a very promising and young centre-back who has been on the books of Club Brugge since 2022.
The defender joined Club NXT in 2022 after leaving Independiente del Valle and has now established himself in Club Brugge’s first team.
Ordonez has made nine starts and one substitute appearance in the Jupiler Pro League this season. He has also played four times in the UEFA Champions League.
Ordonez did not actually start his career as a centre-back. He was a centre-forward who was nicknamed ‘Balotelli’ by his childhood friends after the former Liverpool and Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli, according to Expreso.ec.
The centre-back’s first coach, Luis Medina, said to Expreso.ec after watching Ordonez make his debut for Ecuador: “Now I see that, it was worth changing his position, from striker to defence, and being a defender he can play in any position, in the middle or on the sides. I’m not surprised by his good game.”
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