Lewis Miley and Alex Murphy of Newcastle United walk to pitch with teammates during a training session at Newcastle United Training Centre on October 20, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)placeholder image
Lewis Miley and Alex Murphy of Newcastle United walk to pitch with teammates during a training session at Newcastle United Training Centre on October 20, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Newcastle United have been hit with a series of full-back injuries so far this season with Lewis Hall, Tino Livramento, Kieran Trippier and Emil Krafth facing spells on the sidelines.
The return of Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento for Newcastle United has coincided with the loss of Kieran Trippier and Emil Krafth due to injury.
Livramento has started Newcastle’s last two matches after two months out with a knee injury while Hall made his first start since September during last weekend’s 2-1 win over Manchester City. It was also Hall’s first start at St James’ Park in the Premier League since February after an injury-hit 2025.
The return of the duo was a welcome boost for The Magpies, though the absence of Trippier and Krafth means Eddie Howe will have to be particularly careful managing the minutes and fitness of his available full-backs.
Livramento played 90 minutes against Manchester City before starting again against Marseille in the Champions League three days later. Meanwhile, Hall went off with cramp against Manchester City before coming off the bench as a second half substitute at Stade Velodrome.
Assessing Hall’s fitness ahead of Saturday’s trip to Everton (5:30pm kick-off), Howe said: "Potentially [he can play 90 minutes], we will see.
“That is a difficult one to call but I think we knew against Manchester City he might not last the game.
"He started to fatigue with cramp so hopefully he will just improve as the days go by and he gets a little bit stronger each day. He is a valuable player and we have to try and keep him fit."
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Emergency full-back alternative emerges for Newcastle United
In the absence of Trippier and Krafth, a new full-back option emerged for Newcastle following Livramento’s withdrawal at Marseille.
19-year-old midfielder Lewis Miley came on and played at right-back for the closing stages of the Champions League defeat.
Whether an emergency solution or a genuine option for Howe to consider, the Newcastle boss is no stranger to prompting role changes in his squad having overseen the transformation of Joelinton from a misfiring forward into a midfield destroyer.
“I have always had my eye on Lewy potentially being able to play that role,” Howe admitted. “It is difficult because we haven't seen him play it a lot and it is not something we have necessarily looked to do a lot in training because we don't want to take from his development as a midfielder.
"But in that moment we felt it was a risk worth taking, we were chasing the game and we know his qualities on the ball. I mean, that is undoubted.
“He can play the role easily from a technical viewpoint and from an attacking viewpoint. He is a very good crosser of the ball.
"It was the defending aspect, always, when you are playing a new position but he actually dealt with that really well and his positioning was excellent.
"I think he is just an intelligent footballer with a very good brain and he played some wonderful passes on the pitch from that position.
"He certainly helped us in the latter stages so it could be something I look at again."
NUFC follow Liverpool Dominik Szoboszlai tactic
The use of Miley at right-back follows a trend of central midfielders being used in the role this season. Notably, Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai has found himself regularly switching between playing in midfield and right-back this season.
When asked about his versatility, Szoboszlai said: "To be honest, I don't know. You have to ask my managers. I think it comes from growing up playing as a central midfielder.
"In my opinion, a central midfielder can play any position on the pitch a lot easier. The midfield is where a lot of the action happens in training and in the matches.”
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