An out-of-sorts Newcastle United host Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
The Magpies limped into the international break on the back of consecutive 2-0 defeats as they were deservedly undone by Borussia Dortmund and Bournemouth. When Eddie Howe was asked if the two-week hiatus came at the right time for Newcastle he agreed, but added: “What we really need is players back from injury.”
The treatment room on Tyneside has been packed for weeks, with no end to the overcrowding in sight.
Here’s the starting XI that Howe may be able to select from the small pool of available players.
GK: Nick Pope – The best English Premier League goalkeeper in terms of save percentage this season still hasn’t found a way back into Gareth Southgate’s setup.
RB: Tino Livramento – A beacon of positivity amid the fog of injuries has been the emergence of Livramento. Even if Howe had any fit defenders at his disposal, the full-back’s recent performances would surely have earned him a starting berth.
CB: Jamaal Lascelles – Last season, Lascelles earned two yellow cards as an unused substitute – the same number of starts as he managed in the Premier League.
CB: Fabian Schar – The only Newcastle outfielder yet to miss a second of top-flight football this season.
LB: Kieran Trippier – Allowed to leave England’s squad for “personal reasons”, Trippier has already returned to Newcastle training and will likely feature against Chelsea.
CM: Sean Longstaff – Another player with a niggling fitness complaint, Longstaff is expected to overcome an ankle issue.
CM: Bruno Guimaraes – To say that Guimaraes is fresh from his one-game suspension would ignore the fearsome battle that he duked out in Brazil’s midfield against Argentina earlier this week.
CM: Joe Willock – The last time Chelsea travelled up to St James’ Park, Willock scored the only goal of the game.
RW: Anthony Gordon – Only four players across the entire division have clocked a faster sprint speed than Gordon this season, who would get a ticket in a residential area when reaching 22.8mph.
ST: Alexander Isak – The philosophy buff has had plenty of time to study the meditations of Marcus Aurelius during his recent injury layoff. “I love stoicism,” Isak once revealed. “It is built on self-control, and the ability to find harmony by controlling strong feelings like jealousy, anger and desire.”
LW: Joelinton – The dismissal Joelinton earned against Argentina was his first career red card since July 2017, when he was a 20-year-old striker for Rapid Vienna.
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