**Eddie Howe will have a bit of extra time with two of his England internationals during the latest break, as Anthony Gordon and Nick Pope have had to withdraw from Thomas Tuchel's squad.**
Anthony Gordon didn't make the Newcastle United squad to face Brentford on Sunday after the winger's hip injury proved to be too much.
Gordon had failed to complete the previous two games due to discomfort in his hip, and the mere fact that Eddie Howe still hadn't ruled him out of facing Brentford when he spoke to the media on Friday was truly baffling.
Thankfully, common sense prevailed, and now, not only did Gordon not make the Newcastle squad, but he has also withdrawn from the England camp, which is good news, as you can never trust the international camps to properly look after a club's players.
Anthony Gordon won't be adding to his England caps in November
Nick Pope was lucky to be in the England squad in the first place
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Nick Pope can think himself extremely lucky that he was even called up at all. Had Tuchel made his decision later than last Sunday, after the defeat to West Ham, we're sure he wouldn't have been included. He didn't do himself any favours against Brentford either, with his newfound love of punching instead of catching.
However, Tuchel has been spared any embarrassment after Nick Pope fell awkwardly after a challenge and picked up a concussion, which has forced him out of the England set-up.
Mind, that concussion didn't force him out of Sunday's game straight away, as for the second time this season, Eddie Howe has kept a player on the pitch with a concussion waiting for the player themselves to signal they can't carry on. First up was Fabian Schar, who was hooked after giving away a goal, and on Sunday, Howe kept Pope on for a good five minutes before bringing on Aaron Ramsdale.
What are our medical staff doing?
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We aren't blaming Eddie Howe for those decisions, mind, there's plenty of other things we can point the finger at him for lately.
What are our medical team doing that they can't spot a concussion? Granted, symptoms aren't always immediate, but they are supposed to be professionals; surely they should know not to take risks.
If only Eddie Howe could keep all of his internationals at home over the next two weeks. They could all use some time on the training pitch to work on some new ideas.