Following the loss to Aston Villa yesterday, Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe provided updates on the two fresh injuries concerning his side. That would be midfielders Joelinton (groin) and Bruno Guimaraes (ankle).
It’s a very quick turnaround to the next match, a trip to the French capital to take on UEFA Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain.
UCL League Phase Finale
Matchday 8 of 8 Newcastle United at Paris Saint-Germain
Kickoff: Wed Jan 28, 8pm, Parc des Princes, Paris, France
UCL Standing: Newcastle United 7th 13 pts Paris Saint-Germain 6th 13 pts
Win Probability: Newcastle United 17% Draw 20% Paris Saint-Germain 63%
Both sides come in with 13 points, and clinging to a spot in the UCL playoff.
However, there are also six teams behind them in the standings (five of which are in the playoff qualifier zone) who also have 13 points, so anything can happen on UCL League Phase finale day.
Both sides are badly in need of a win here.
Newcastle United Team News
Let’s start with Joelinton, whose status is basically unknown at this time.
“He felt his groin,” Howe said on Sunday. “We don’t know how serious that is…”
Moving on to Guimaraes, he’s in the same boat, as we just don’t know how severe/not severe his injury might be.
“I think we missed his ability to pass forward today,” Howe said on Sunday.
“There was certainly an element of our game that got hurt by him not being here… but we have to be able to play without him as well and hope we don’t have to do that for too long.”
Other than that, the Newcastle injury situation remains the same, with the same four players (Valentino Livramento, Emil Krafth, Jacob Murphy and Fabian Schar) remaining sidelined.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor 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 currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.