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Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has decisions to make ahead of the Elland Road trip
Newcastle United head to Leeds United this weekend hoping to bounce back from a rare blip against Arsenal last week. Eddie Howe sends his Magpies to Elland Road for Saturday’s early kick-off knowing a win piles yet more pressure on top four-chasing rivals Manchester United and Liverpool.
The United boss addressed the media on Friday, offering injury updates ahead of the trip to face Sam Allardyce’s side. Newcastle’s bench is looking significantly stronger than this time last season and Howe now has some positive headaches to address as Newcastle look to get back to winning ways.
Longstaff absence
Sean Longstaff has become a key member of this Newcastle side in recent months and his absence is really felt these days. The midfielder missed both the 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa and the 2-0 loss to Arsenal in recent weeks, with Newcastle struggling to control the midfield on both occasions.
Longstaff is nursing a foot injury at present after being on the receiving end of a heavy James Tarkowski tackle in the win over Everton last month. Speaking on Friday, Howe said: “He (Longstaff) went to see a specialist. I think there were a few concerns that there may be some sort of structural damage in his foot. There wasn’t, which is good news, but there is a bit of damage to one of the ligaments.
“He’s being re-scanned today, actually, which we hope will show an improvement. It’s slightly unclear when he’ll be back, but it’s not a long-term issue at all. It’s whether we can get him back before the end of the season.”
Newcastle are light on midfield options and Longstaff’s absence will see Joelinton used in the middle rather than out wide, alongside Bruno Guimaraes and Joe Willock. Elliot Anderson can fill in if needed, along with Matt Ritchie, but the latter is set to spend to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.
Left wing battle
Joelinton being used in the middle means one less decision for Howe out wide. But Newcastle still have a wealth of options on the left, with Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon and Allan Saint-Maximin all in with a shout of featuring from the outset.