Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has been speaking to the media before Saturday’s Premier League game against Fulham at St James’ Park (kick-off 15:00 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
-
Newcastle’s 3-0 victory over Benfica in the Champions League was “a welcome performance and result” and has given the squad “a good feeling” going into their next match.
-
There are no new injury concerns. Everybody came through the midweek fixture without any major issues, despite there being “a couple of sore bodies” in the squad.
-
Sandro Tonali will be “touch and go” to face Fulham. The midfielder is being monitored after training on Wednesday and not feeling 100%.
-
When asked about the contract extension Tonali signed during his betting ban, Howe replied: “A lot happened around that time, there were lots of discussions between his representatives and the club. There was a contract situation involving the sacrificial wages he volunteered, which I thought spoke volumes about his mentality and how he conducted himself during that period. The club came to an agreement on the extension of his contract, which is a great thing.”
-
Howe praised the fans for being “absolutely incredible” with Tonali since he joined the club, adding: “He felt their love and support, which I think he needed at that time, and now we are seeing the benefits.”
-
On Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento, who are currently sidelined with injuries, Howe said: “It was Tino’s first time on the grass today, he is making really good progress and we are really happy with him. Lewis has been on the grass for a while, pushing himself and doing back-to-back sessions.”
-
The timeline for Yoane Wissa’s return “hasn’t changed” but he is “on track and doing well”. The plan is to “start to push him a little bit harder” but he will “need a bit of a pre-season” before his return to first-team action.
-
Howe addressed the “two very disappointing results” against Fulham last season: “We know the qualities of their team and this will be a difficult game for us. When you go from the high emotion of the Champions League back to the afternoon kick-offs in the Premier League, it is a big mental challenge. We have to rise to that and grow from the experiences we’ve had previously.”
-
Nick Woltemade had his best “physical performance” against Benfica and Howe added: “His pressing from the front, his durability and his robustness was excellent, but the challenge for him is being able to put in that kind of performance every three or four days now – and that isn’t easy.”
-
The striker’s availability for Saturday’s game will be assessed after their “full training day” on Friday.
Follow all of Friday’s Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day’s football news
Listen to live commentary of Newcastle v Fulham on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra from 15:00 BST on Saturday
