UCL TEAM NEWS: EDDIE HOWE PLAYS DOWN INJURY PANIC AFTER KEY STARS MISS TRAINING
Football news: Newcastle vs Qarabag. Get the report on Botman’s fitness, youth debuts, and potential last-16 opponents.
Eddie Howe shared the latest on Yoane Wissa and Sven Botman after both players got back to training ahead of Newcastle’s Champions League clash with Qarabag.
The Magpies are back at St James’ Park for an 8 pm kick-off, looking to book their spot in the last 16. They made things easy for themselves with that huge 6-1 win in Baku last week; really, it’d take a total collapse for them not to go through now. No team in Champions League history has ever come back from five goals down after the first leg, so Newcastle look set, even with Howe planning a few changes.
Whoever wins will meet either Barcelona or Chelsea in the next round. We’ll find out the draw on Friday.
Malick Thiaw is suspended, and several others, Bruno Guimarães, Lewis Miley, Tino Livramento, Fabian Schär, and Emil Krafth, are still out injured. Wissa and Botman have each sat out the last three games, dealing with minor knocks, but both were back in training on Monday.
After Newcastle’s 2-1 loss at Manchester City, Howe explained, “We thought Botman would be ready. He just didn’t feel completely right, so we decided not to risk it. Hopefully he’s back on Tuesday, but we’re not totally sure yet.”
About Wissa, Howe added, “I don’t think he’ll be out for long; maybe he even makes the Qarabag game. He picked up a nasty knock in training, but I think he’ll be fine.”
On Monday afternoon, Howe gave another update: “We hope they’ll both be involved. We’ll see how they feel in the morning, but fingers crossed.”
Meanwhile, Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali weren’t seen out on the grass during training, but Howe quickly shot down any panic: “We just kept a few players inside today. No problems. Four or five guys just being careful.”
With such a big lead, this match is the perfect chance for Howe to rotate his squad. Alex Murphy, Leo Shahar, Sean Neave, and John Ruddy are the only fit players who haven’t started for Newcastle yet. William Osula has made some Champions League appearances off the bench but hasn’t started either.
Is it time for some fresh faces? Howe played it cool when asked, “Maybe. We’ll look at the squad and pick a strong team that wants to win. That’s the main thing.”
He went on, “We want to keep a good rhythm, and it’s a tricky balance resting players, making sure everyone’s fresh, but also making sure people don’t lose that match sharpness or the good feeling we’ve got going. I’ll try to make the right calls with all that in mind.”
EDDIE HOWE REMAINS "100% COMMITTED" DESPITE CEO HOPKINSON’S CRYPTIC "FUTURE TALK" COMMENTS
Howe reveals "no falling out" with Newcastle board. Get the latest on injury updates and the Crystal Palace clash.
Eddie Howe didn’t dodge the topic of his future at Newcastle United after CEO David Hopkinson’s recent comments. Hopkinson spoke up after Newcastle’s loss to Sunderland, saying they don’t plan to make a change “at the moment,” but left things a little open-ended with, “we’ll talk about the future when it’s time.”
How’s the answer? He’s all in. “Nothing’s changed for me, I’m 100% committed to the job,” he told the press ahead of their match against Crystal Palace. “That’s never wavered. I worked right through the break to get us ready, and I want us coming back stronger.”
He didn’t get too deep into what might happen next season or beyond, just like Hopkinson, really. Instead, Howe focused on what’s left of this campaign. “It’s tough to look too far ahead these days. I’m just focused on these last seven games. We want to play at our best and finish the season strong,” he said.
He pointed out that the year had been a whirlwind. “Honestly, we hadn’t trained with a full squad of 20 players since August. That’s a first for me. However, we now have the numbers back in training, and the sessions have been refreshing. I’ve really enjoyed it.”
As for the mood behind the scenes, Howe says everything’s steady between him and the club’s leadership, despite a slightly different tone from Hopkinson lately compared to earlier in the year. “There’s no falling out. I’ve got a really good relationship with Ross [Wilson] and David,” he explained. “We’re all planning how to move Newcastle forward, making smart decisions together.”
He still feels well supported. “They’re the main people I work with every day, and we’re on the same page about what the club needs to do. The future looks strong for Newcastle. Honestly, we’re probably ahead of where most people expected us to be, even with the bumps we’ve hit recently. We need to be smart, get the most out of our budget, and keep pushing to hit the goals everyone’s set for us.”
When asked what he needs from the club, Howe kept it simple: support and good working relationships. “I want to be able to show the best version of myself as a manager. If I feel that and the club feels that, they get the best from me.”
He made one thing clear above all: the club comes first. “If, for any reason, it’s not working for either side, then what matters most is Newcastle United. Not me or anyone else. That’s always at the heart of any decision I make.”
NEWCASTLE RETURN TO ACTION AT CRYSTAL PALACE AMID INTENSE EDDIE HOWE RUMOURS
Newcastle return to face Crystal Palace. Discover the latest on Eddie Howe's job and Tonali's potential move to Man Utd.
Newcastle are finally back after what feels like an endless three-week break, heading to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace. That time off might have given everyone a chance to catch their breath, but let’s be honest, the break just stirred up more questions and a bit of restlessness around the club.
It’s been three weeks since that heavy loss to Sunderland at St James' Park. Now, Newcastle have to put the pieces back together as they travel to South London and try to get their season back on track. They’re still four points from a European spot, and with only seven games left, closing that gap is pretty much a must if they want to play European football next year.
But rumours are circling about Eddie Howe’s future hard to imagine when you remember he ended a 70-year trophy drought and took Newcastle to the Champions League twice. Still, this year’s Premier League run has people asking tough questions. Right now, Newcastle sit 12th, and, excuses aside, nobody at the club thinks that’s good enough, given their ambitions and the squad they’ve put together.
Last week, CEO David Hopkinson didn’t exactly clear things up about Howe. While it sounds like Howe still has support from the top, everyone knows these next seven games are crucial. Hopkinson also hinted that the club is more open to selling a key player this summer if the right offer comes. No dragging out any deals like Alexander Isak’s move to Liverpool last year.
Tino Livramento and Sandro Tonali might be the biggest targets. Livramento still hasn’t signed a new contract, something Ross Wilson flagged as a priority months ago, and both Manchester City and Arsenal are watching him closely. Tonali, meanwhile, reportedly has interest from Manchester United and others. There’s also noise around Anthony Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes, and Lewis Hall, but if the club offloads anyone big, Livramento and Tonali seem most likely.
That makes Newcastle’s summer plans even more interesting. They’re eyeing a keeper, a right-back, a midfielder, and a forward. Sunday's lineup against Palace might tell us something about what’s coming. Kieran Trippier already announced he’s leaving, so if he starts over Livramento, it might give away some of the club’s thinking.
On top of that, Newcastle could finally have six fit midfielders again if Bruno Guimaraes and Lewis Miley return. If Tonali gets left out of the midfield, that might say something about his future, too.
These last seven matches are all about staying locked in. Newcastle have to get everyone pulling in the same direction if they want to chase down those European places. Any off-field distractions need to get out of the way. Now’s not the time to lose focus.
