Newcastle United certainly had injuries, added to insult, in getting thrashed 4-1 by Liverpool on Saturday. They have a trio of new injury concerns heading into the cup clash at Manchester City on Wednesday night- Bruno Guimaraes, Sven Botman and Lewis Miley. Will any of them be back in the lineup in midweek?
Let’s take a look at that, as well as the overall injury/team fitness situation.
EFL Cup Semifinal Leg 2 of 2
Manchester City vs Newcastle United
Kickoff: Wed. Jan 13, 8pm, Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Uk
Aggregate of the tie: Man City leads 2-0
Latest Injury Updates/Team News: Newcastle United Manchester City
Newcastle Team News
Let’s start with Botman, who has a thigh muscle problem that forced him into an unused substitute role this past weekend.
“Sven had a tight thigh, and we were [advised] not to use him,” Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said in postgame on Saturday. “The reason [he was] here on the bench is because we were giving [him] every opportunity to [be] fit. The recovery time is so small, you don’t always get the info and speed you need.”
You can put him in the late fitness test/touch-and-go category for the League Cup tie. Guimaraes, with his ankle/foot problem, is in the same category. Guimaraes missed out on Saturday.
“Bruno, I’m not 100 percent sure, there’s a chance (he could make the squad on Wednesday).”
And then finally with Miley, his situation (knee injury) sounds a bit worse.
Said Howe: “The reason [he was] here on the bench is because we were giving [him] every opportunity to [be] fit. The recovery time is so small, you don’t always get the info and speed you need. He couldn’t bend his knee to sufficient angles to declare himself fit.”
It’s very doubtful that he’ll be a part of the plan come Wednesday night. Meanwhile Emil Krafth, Fabian Schar, Valentino Livramento and Joelinton all remain out as longer-term injury absentees.
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.