Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has been speaking to the media before Saturday’s Premier League game against Chelsea at St James’ Park (kick-off 12:30 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
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Tino Livramento could be out until 2026 despite the extent of his knee injury still being unknown. It currently looks like a “minor injury” which will keep him out of action for “probably a few weeks”.
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Nick Pope is “the closest of all the players” to full fitness ahead of this weekend. He explained: “He is back on the grass – training, diving and kicking. Whether he makes this game or not though, I’m not sure.”
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Lewis Hall could be available for selection this weekend after “feeling some fatigue in his hamstring” after the Tyne-Wear derby and missing out on their midweek Carabao Cup fixture. Howe added: “He has had a scan, which didn’t reveal too much, so let’s see.”
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He confirmed that Yoane Wissa “responded well” to playing 70 minutes last time out, adding: “He played very well. His movement was excellent and his fitness was very good. He played longer than we had planned as he wanted to stay on and score more goals. It was a really good start for him.”
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Jamaal Lascelles “isn’t feeling great in his body” though, so the centre-back isn’t available for selection at the moment.
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There aren’t a lot of injuries in the squad, but Howe says the “disappointing thing is that they are all focused in one area”. He also described the fixture congestion this season as “like no other” and said it has been hard to “regroup”.
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He praised 21-year-old Alex Murphy for filling in at left-back in the 2-1 win over Fulham: “In an important moment for the team, he did really well. He has been training for us for a long time so he is someone that we trust. Performances like that will only do him good in the long-term.”
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On opponents Chelsea, Howe said: “They are progressing and continuing to get better. They have a very good manager, style of play and team, so we are going to have to be very good. They will pose us some problems if our defensive work isn’t of the highest level.”
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There is also a “short recovery time” between their Carabao Cup quarter-final on Wednesday night and the early kick-off on Saturday afternoon, so he is expecting a “big challenge” for his players this week.
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He added: “We like the early kick-offs and playing at home, so anything we can do to help swing this in our direction is important.”
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Newcastle haven’t made any steps to bring Matt Targett back from his loan at Middlesbrough. The club are currently letting the left-back “concentrate on his football”.
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