Eddie Howe has been forced to make multiple Newcastle United decisions due to injury concerns, but one of them could end this weekend against Fulham. While every Premier League club has been pounded by injuries this season, the Magpies could be considered the most devastated.
Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles have lately joined the list of players who are expected to miss the rest of the season, which already includes Nick Pope, Joelinton, and Sandro Tonali. Lewis Miley has also emerged as an injury absentee in recent weeks, with Harvey Barnes and Elliot Anderson missing significant portions of the season.
In addition, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon have been steady for Newcastle, albeit the latter missed the recent draw against Everton. However, his absence was not due to injury, but rather to suspension after being sent off in the closing minutes of the 4-3 victory over West Ham.
Gordon was instrumental in the comeback triumph, but it was Barnes, off the bench, who had the most significant difference. “Harvey deserves that,” Howe said after Barnes scored twice. “Harvey deserves that,” Howe said after the game with Barnes scoring twice. “The thing with Harvey is that he’s a goalscorer. He does score goals. You look at his statistics and his record, and it’s incredible really for a wide player.
“You just look at the amount of goals he got last season for Leicester. We felt, signing him, that he could get similar numbers for us. He’s just been struck by injuries, and he’s had a difficult start to his Newcastle career. But the quality is undoubtedly there and I thought the two finishes today were typical Harvey.”
Barnes followed up that performance, in Gordon’s absence, with an assist for Alexander Isak against Everton and no setbacks after an injury-plagued season. As a result, Howe will most likely have both Gordon and Barnes ready to start this weekend, which has been rare this season.
Gordon has frequently entered games with a big injury doubt but nonetheless played. Gordon was substituted in the defeat to Chelsea last month, but he returned to play the full 90 minutes against Nottingham Forest just five days later.
Finally, Howe has the option of resting Gordon or rotating him with Barnes rather than running down the former, who has 3,250 minutes in all competitions this season as of his previous outing. While both like to operate on the left, Howe may decide to place the duo either side of Isak.
If not, Jacob Murphy might play on the right, with Gordon or Barnes as an attacking option off the bench for Newcastle against Craven Cottage.
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