Newcastle United are gearing up to take on Arsenal in a huge game towards the top of the Premier League table.
The Magpies are on a great run of form, while performances have recently dropped off for the Gunners, opening the door for Eddie Howe’s side to snatch second place from Mikel Arteta.
A new league position is not the only thing Newcastle United are fighting for. Champions League qualification is within touching distance, and they can secure it with a win and if other results go their way.
Newcastle’s win against Chelsea meant they leapfrogged their opponents into third in the Premier League table and established a four-point gap to Nottingham Forest in seventh.
Gary Neville thinks Newcastle will lose to Arsenal on Sunday; he could be right after Arsenal’s latest training ground development.
Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images
Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images
Four Arsenal players in training ahead of Newcastle United game
The Gunners have struggled with injuries to key players in their squad this season. The likes of Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Magalhaes are confirmed to miss the rest of the season.
Arsenal wanted to sell Jesus to sign Alexander Isak, but their plans were thrown out after the Brazilian suffered an ACL injury during the January transfer window.
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While the pair will not be seen before the end of the season, there is a good chance four other key players will be in Arteta’s matchday squad for the game.
Declan Rice, Leandro Trossard, Jorginho and Kai Havertz were all pictured in an open training session at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, suggesting that they may all be available to play on Sunday.
The initial belief was that Havertz would miss the remainder of the season with a hamstring injury, but Arteta has been very pleased with his progress.
Newcastle United missing players for Arsenal trip
While Arsenal are fortunate to see some of their key players return to training ahead of the final two games of the season, Newcastle could be without several stars for the run-in.
Howe confirmed Botman had discomfort in his knee after returning to the starting XI against Chelsea. The Dutchman missed 10 months with an ACL injury he picked up in March 2024.
Joelinton’s season is likely to be over. The Brazilian has struggled with a knee injury for the majority of the campaign, and it recently became too much to bear.
Additionally, Newcastle are set to be without Joe Willock and Kieran Trippier for the rest of the season. The pair missed the win against Chelsea after picking up new problems and Howe was far from confident about seeing them in the final two games.
A positive for Newcastle is that Jamaal Lascelles made a return to competitive football earlier this week, playing for the Magpies under-21s to get his match sharpness up.