Joe Buck reacts as Eddie Howe previews Newcastle United v Athletic Club
Anthony Gordon injury: Newcastle United were forced into a first-half change as Gordon was withdrawn by Eddie Howe through injury.
Newcastle United were handed a potential major injury blow on the stroke of half-time during their clash with Athletic Club as Anthony Gordon was substituted by Eddie Howe.
Gordon, who was withdrawn at the break during Sunday’s 3-1 defeat to West Ham, started on the left wing again against Athletic Club. The former Everton man had scored in Newcastle United’s last three Champions League outings and was looking to make it a fourth goal in as many games.
However, his night would last just 40 minutes before he was substituted by Howe, with Jacob Murphy coming on to replace him. Howe admitted on Sunday that Gordon had been suffering with a slight hip injury at the London Stadium and that seemed to affect him again on Tyneside as he left the pitch holding that part of his body.
At the time of Gordon’s exit, the Magpies were one goal ahead courtesy of Dan Burn’s stunning header. Kieran Trippier’s long free-kick found Burn unmarked at the back post as he planted a header in off the post past a stranded Unai Simon for his second ever Champions League goal.
The Magpies went into half-time 1-0 up on their La Liga opponents, but some sloppy moments, particularly in possession of the ball, has seen the visitors hand them a number of scares. Newcastle, though, will feel they should be two ahead, rather than one, after Joelinton spurned a golden opportunity to add to his Newcastle United goal collection.
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A win for Howe’s side would move them back into the top-eight of the Champions League league phase table. A top-eight finish would ensure they qualify for the Round of 16 stage and not have to face playing an extra play-off round game.
Dan Burn’s pre-match message
Speaking ahead of Wednesday night’s game Burn, the man who would go onto score a sensational opener, spoke of how the dressing room reacted to their disappointing collapse and defeat in the capital on Sunday and the need to respond to that setback as soon as possible.
“Everybody knew in that changing room that we'd let each other down, I think that's the most frustrating thing, we're a very tight-knit group and we spoke before that there isn’t many changing rooms, in my opinion, like ours in our league, the way that we'd demand from each other and push each other, I think it was more frustrating, we really wanted to go out there and put on a performance against a team that was struggling, and failed to do that.
“ Even going 1-0 up, I think they expected us to go and kick on, and it sort of had the opposite effect, and I feel like at this level in the Premier League it's very cliched, but if you don't turn up, there's quality in this league, and in my opinion they've got very good front-liner and we didn't cause them problems.”
Newcastle United head back to London on Sunday to take on Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium in their final Premier League match before the two-week international break.
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