Newcastle United have tested a new left-hand side ahead of the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool.
With Anthony Gordon suspended and Lewis Hall injured, the Magpies will not be at full strength at Wembley on Sunday.
Eddie Howe must decide which two players operate down the left, with Tino Livramento and Harvey Barnes getting a trial run at the London Stadium on Monday night.
They played well as Newcastle beat West Ham 1-0, with Barnes providing the assist for Bruno Guimaraes’ winner.
Barnes certainly took his opportunity and stepped up, as he pushes to be included in the Newcastle United starting XI for the Carabao Cup final.
Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images
Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images
Eddie Howe delighted with Tino Livramento and Harvey Barnes against West Ham
But will Howe pick him against Liverpool? The Newcastle United manager’s comments after the win over West Ham suggest he might do exactly that – or Howe could just be playing mind games.
“I’m pleased with all the players on our new look left-hand side, with Tino Livramento and Harvey Barnes,” he told the Athletic.
“They did really well together, so that should give us great confidence going into the weekend.”
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Newcastle fans should not take Eddie Howe’s words at face value
Eddie Howe is a manager who is always very careful with his words. We know that from his injury updates.
With that in mind, it is strange for the Toon boss to seemingly speak so clearly about his intentions for Sunday’s game against Liverpool.
While Howe has hinted that the Livramento and Barnes combination gives Newcastle confidence ahead of the Carabao Cup final, there are no guarantees that they will play together.
In truth, it feels like smoke and mirrors from Howe.
With Hall injured, Livramento will certainly play at left-back at Wembley. While he was not great offensively against West Ham, he was certainly diligent when it came to defending. That is encouraging, as he prepares for the even grander task of taking on Mohamed Salah.
But who will be in front of Livramento? Barnes has certainly staked a claim, and taking Howe’s words at face value suggests he will be in the starting lineup.
However, there is every chance that Howe has something else up his sleeve. Given the amount of times we have seen bespoke systems, it would be hugely surprising if really had played his hand to the media.