Newcastle suffer triple injury blow ahead of Arsenal clash as Champions League race heats up
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Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has confirmed that his side could be without three key players for Sunday’s Premier League showdown against Arsenal, as the Magpies look to tighten their grip on Champions League qualification.
After an impressive win over Chelsea last weekend, Newcastle are in strong form heading into the final weeks of the season. A victory at the Emirates Stadium would mark a fourth win over Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal this campaign following a league win at St James’ Park and a Carabao Cup semi-final triumph over two legs and would see Howe’s side leapfrog the Gunners into second place.
However, Newcastle may have to achieve the feat without experienced right-back Kieran Trippier and defender Sven Botman, both of whom are injury doubts.
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“Kieran I don’t think will be fit for this weekend,” Howe said during his pre-match press conference. “But again, it’s not a big injury — just a very minor calf problem.”
Botman, who has endured a season disrupted by injuries, made a recent return to the starting lineup but was forced off in the win against Chelsea after taking a knock to the knee.
“It was a knock, he got a bang on his knee,” Howe explained. “We’re not sure about Sven’s availability for the weekend, but we’ll give him a chance to be fit. It’s not a serious injury. He’s been unlucky. You’re going to get knocks and bruises in his position — this is a similar thing, he’s just been really unlucky on the last two occasions.”
Midfield powerhouse Joelinton is also set to miss out, with Howe casting doubt on his return before the end of the season.
“He’s working away behind the scenes. Typical Joe — he’s absolutely foot to the floor trying to get fit because he wants to be involved,” Howe said. “But the biggest possibility is that we don’t see him again this season and we’ll get him ready for next year.”
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Reflecting on the challenges of managing a small squad through a demanding campaign, Howe admitted the January transfer window left the team a little short.
“I think January played a part in that — we lost two players from the squad,” he noted. “We’ve done really well this season to manage a small squad. Our injury record has been very good, in part due to having fewer games. We’ve managed to keep the majority of the players fit.
“You’re always going to get one or two [injuries], but with the size of our squad, a run of knocks can make it look thin very quickly. Fingers crossed we can maintain our strength until the end of the season.”
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