Newcastle United have suddenly been plagued with injury problems.
If there was a worst possible time for Newcastle United to enter an injury crisis, it would be now. Eddie Howe’s side are missing key players after picking up problems in recent games.
Newcastle are still without Harvey Barnes after he picked up a muscle strain in the Magpies 3-1 FA Cup win against Bromley in January.
Joelinton came off injured against Fulham and was then seen wearing a knee brace. Howe confirmed he will miss weeks of action with the issue.
Sven Botman suffered another injury blow in the win against Arsenal. Botman missed the Birmingham win on Saturday and is a doubt for the trip to Manchester City on the weekend alongside Anthony Gordon.
Dan Burn injured his groin versus Birmingham. Howe stated that his adjustment was not tactical, and he will be evaluated in the coming days.
With the Magpies’ injury troubles suddenly worsening, Chris Waugh has compiled a list of players who can play out of position if necessary.
Newcastle’s Surprise Lewis Hall Plan
In these trying times, Newcastle requires more versatility. Last season, Howe’s players had a serious injury crisis, with an entire starting XI out. Until recently, the story had been very different, and Howe had most of his best players.
According to Waugh of the Athletic, five players can play out of their natural positions if necessary.
Matt Targett’s ability with the ball at his feet makes him a midfield option, despite his few appearances for Newcastle this season.
£28m signing Lewis Hall is also regarded as a ’emergency’ midfielder if needed. Hall started in midfield and left-back for the win over Arsenal at St James’ Park, and he was used in the middle of the park throughout his youth career before moving into defence.
Tino Livramento can play as a right winger, as Howe is limited on options in that position after Miguel Almiron left for Atlanta United.
Centre-back Fabian Schar has also been considered as a defensive midfielder when Newcastle has run out of options, although that move appears improbable given the club’s paucity of right-sided defenders.
Gordon can play anywhere in the front three, including central midfield. This season, the 23-year-old has been in excellent form as a left winger.
Newcastle’s impressive injury record
While injuries are beginning to build up this season, it has been night and day in compared to their issues from the prior campaign.
New performance director James Bunce can take a lot of credit for the effort he has been doing to ensure Howe has the fittest possible team available to him.
Howe praised Bunce for ensuring his players remain fit and that injuries are dealt with in the best way possible.
According to the same Athletic report, as of January 2025, Newcastle had missed the second-fewest days of the Premier League season due to injury. The Magpies 373 days can only be bettered by West Ham’s 280.
Last season, Newcastle’s troubles were so serious that they were either towards the top or at the top for most of the year. Waugh even mentioned that Newcastle’s injury problems were once 50% higher than the league average.
