Newcastle United fans will be gutted to learn that Anthony Elanga has withdrawn from the Sweden squad this week and it’s unclear whether he will be available for this weekend’s game against Man City.
The summer signing has had a tough start at Newcastle United, struggling to make the desired impact on the pitch and now failing to pick up game time in recent weeks.
Anthony Elanga is obviously a talented player, but something has not quite clicked at Newcastle so far. However, Elanga has been a bright spark for Sweden in this international break, which makes this latest development all the more disappointing.
He was set to play against Slovenia on Tuesday night, but that won’t be happening now, as he’s returning to Newcastle early.
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Anthony Elanga withdraws from Sweden squad
As per a press release from the Sweden national team (via Fotboll Skanalen), Elanga has had to withdraw from international duty on Monday due to what is described as “private reasons” by press manager Petra Thorén.
This is the second time Elanga has pulled out of Sweden duty for the same reason, having done the same back in June of this year.
It’s unclear what exactly has happened to Elanga at this moment in time and what the severity of the situation is. Whether it will impact Eddie Howe’s selection on Saturday remains to be seen, but it certainly doesn’t bode well for Elanga’s potential involvement.
With Elanga highlighting momentum as being crucial for him at Newcastle, it will be really disappointing if he is unable to be involved after a positive performance for Sweden at the weekend.
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Eddie Howe has to give Anthony Elanga a chance
One of the big talking points around Elanga this week has been the fact he played on the left wing for Sweden instead of on the right wing. There have obviously been suggestions he should play there for Newcastle now.
In our predicted XI for Newcastle vs Man City, we suspected Elanga might take on that role this Saturday. Now, that place is at risk, but it’s still food for thought for Howe moving forward.
The Newcastle manager certainly needs to try new things as results have not been going his way, and someone like Elanga surely has to play a part in that fresh direction.
He’s an exciting player who can make things happen, and Newcastle are really lacking that at the moment, especially with Anthony Gordon missing. If Elanga is available this weekend, he needs to be involved. If he’s not available, Howe should get him in at the earliest opportunity.