The festive period, and the extreme fixture pile-up that accompanies it, hit injury-riddled teams even harder than it does everybody else. For Newcastle, the following three players: Joelinton (thigh), Jamaal Lascelles (unspecified injury after limping off in the 37′ in the loss to Luton Town on Saturday) and Emil Krafth (shin) are the only members of the squad who may be fit enough to come off the team’s very long injury list for Boxing Day.
The Geordies will host Nottingham Forest in what should be a get right game, but then again that’s what we thought the visit to Luton Town would be.
Boxing Day Fixtures FYIs
Newcastle United vs Nottingham Forest
Kickoff: Tue. Dec. 26, 3pm, St. James Park
Newcastle United Preview Content: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
Google Result Probability: Newcastle 64% Draw 21% Nottingham Forest 15%
Premier League Form: Newcastle LWLLW Nottingham Forest LLDLL
Premier League Standing: Newcastle 7th, 29 pts Nottingham Forest 17th, 14 pts
In terms of who else is not available for selection for Eddie Howe, well, let’s dive into that list.
Newcastle Team News
Sandro Tonali is out for the season due to a suspension. Meanwhile the following seven footballers are long-term injury absentees: Nick Pope (shoulder), Harvey Barnes (foot), Matt Targett (thigh), Jacob Murphy (shoulder), Elliot Anderson (back), Javi Manquillo (groin) and Joe Willock (achilles).
No wonder this team has struggled so much this season.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.