Eddie Howe may be tempted to axe one of his star men after what he saw in Newcastle’s latest Champions League outing.
The Magpies faced Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday night in a match that ended in a 2-2 draw with an Anthony Gordon penalty and a Lewis Miley effort earning a hard-fought point against the German giants.
A trip to the Bundesliga side was always going to tricky, but with a historic fixture coming up on Sunday afternoon, Howe may have to get ruthless to ensure that his side are on the right side of history come Sunday teatime.
Newcastle Must Chop Joelinton
Newcastle are set to face Sunderland in a Tyne-Wear derby for the first time since January 2024 when the two sides met in the FA Cup third round. Previous to that, it was March 2016 when the two sides did battle.
Howe will be desperate to come out on top at the Stadium Of Light and as a result, he may choose to drop Joelinton after another disappointing performance against Bayer Leverkusen. The Brazilian midfielder has struggled to show the same sort of influence this term that he has in previous campaigns.
Described as ‘pointless’ by one supporter, Joelinton was brought off during the second half against the German side with a groin issue and that could be the perfect excuse for Howe to trade him out for a more in-form player.
Sunderland Clash Is Perfect For Hometown Lad Miley
There are few players who are looking forward to the Tyne-Wear derby more than Lewis Miley. A product of Newcastle’s youth academy, the 19-year-old knows exactly what this rivalry means and that has to work in his favour.
So far this season, Miley has had to be patient but with Joelinton struggling for form while he starts to hit new heights, Miley will be backing himself to be named in the starting XI at the Stadium Of Light.
A goal against Bayer Leverkusen was Miley’s first strike in the Champions League and as a result, he’ll be buzzing. There’s no better time to give him a run in the first team than right now with his confidence through the roof.
With Joelinton a potential doubt for that clash on Sunday, now is the ideal time for Howe to pull the trigger and look to the future with one of the hottest young prospects in English football right now.
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