For the Boxing Day match against Aston Villa, Eddie Howe may have two significant reinforcements to his team, and the timing couldn’t be better for the Newcastle United head coach.
The Magpies’ season was put back on track after three victories over Leicester City, Brentford, and Ipswich Town. However, Howe is aware that they now have a challenging three games against teams that might be direct competitors for spots in Europe at the conclusion of the season. Newcastle’s next three opponents—Villa, Manchester United, and Tottenham—are all likely to contend for a top six berth, while teams like Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, and Brighton may have different opinions.
While Nick Pope, Callum Wilson, Jamaal Lascelles, and Emil Krafth are still out for Newcastle’s Boxing Day match against Villa, Howe disclosed no fresh injury concerns.
After nine months of recuperating from ACL surgery, Sven Botman is almost ready to rejoin the team. He has played in a number of Under-21 and behind-the-scenes games without experiencing any detrimental effects, so he might be included today. The Dutch defender will be a tremendous help, but Howe may decide to postpone his return.
After suffering a serious injury during the Carabao Cup victory against Brentford earlier this month, Howe is hoping that Oelinton will be available now that he has returned from suspension. Joe Willock is also fit, and the Brazilian, who required stitches for a facial wound, should be able to compete for a spot.
It’s a formidable team, and if Joelinton and Botman return, there may be a significant choice regarding who sits on the bench. Despite missing a few games lately, Lewis Miley played in the second half against Ipswich in an attempt to get more playing time following an injury.
Dubravka, Vlachodimos, Ruddy, Livramento, Trippier, Schar, Burn, Hall, Kelly, Botman, Targett, Tonali, Guimaraes, Longstaff, Joelinton, Willock, Miley, J Murphy, Almiron, Barnes, Gordon, and the Newcastle United team against Aston Villa
Be the first to comment