Newcastle United are red hot right now, pushing themselves into the top four, and perhaps maybe even the Premier League title race? Well, we’ll just have to see if they can keep the momentum rolling, plus Liverpool would have to falter, before we can honestly start that kind of talk. Plus there is good fitness news, with starting goalkeeper Nick Pope nearing a return. However, manager Eddie Howe also has a couple new fitness concerns, in Harvey Barnes and Fabian Schar.
AFC Bournemouth at Newcastle United FYIs
Kick: Sat. Jan. 18, 12:30pm, St. James Park, Newcastle, UK
Newcastle United Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Google Result Probability: Newcastle Win 59% Draw 22% AFC Bournemouth Win 19%
So let’s run through it all as a visit from surprising AFC Bournemouth looms.
Newcastle Team News
On Barnes, Howe said of the player’s thigh injury: “Harvey will be missing for a period of time. We don’t think it’s a serious injury but it’s enough to keep him out for a few weeks, we’re probably looking at around a month. That’s the early assessment. It’s an injury to the muscle in his thigh.”
So there you have the timeline on that one, regarding Schar, he’s dealing with some kind of minor ailment. He’s a doubt, due to being a bit sick.
“I don’t think it’s a serious illness,” Howe said. “I hope he’ll be back pretty quickly.”
Finally, Pope could be in contention here, as he’s training again, following the recovery from his knee problem.
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, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. 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, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.