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Newcastle United have been back on the training ground this week in preparation for Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Liverpool at Wembley Stadium (4:30pm kick-off).
Eddie Howe reported no fresh injury concerns from his squad following Monday’s 1-0 win over West Ham United at the London Stadium. Lewis Hall, Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles will miss Sunday’s final due to injury while Anthony Gordon is suspended.
As expected, Gordon has continued to train with the first-team during his suspension while Hall and Botman are set for extended spells on the sidelines following surgery. Botman has been ruled out for eight weeks following knee surgery while Hall is set for four months out following surgery on his foot.
Newcastle will be looking to end a 70-year wait for a domestic trophy on Sunday but face stiff competition in the form of Premier League leaders and Carabao Cup holders Liverpool.
The Magpies travelled to West Ham with a matchday squad that included 17-year-old forward Sean Neave. The teenager has continued to train with the first team in the build-up to Sunday’s final but now faces fresh competition for a place on the bench.
Young striker returns to first-team training with Newcastle United
Ben Parkinson has also returned to first-team training for the first time following an ankle injury that sidelined him for two months. The 20-year-old striker had been in fine form for Newcastle Under-21s and has 12 goals in all competitions so far this season.
He returned from injury last weekend and is now in contention for a spot on the bench at Wembley Stadium. Parkinson is no stranger to being named on the bench for high-profile Newcastle games having featured in the matchday squad for the Champions League clashes at Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain last season.
The striker made his Premier League debut for Newcastle last season, coming off the bench in a 2-0 defeat at AFC Bournemouth.
Parkinson was planned to be loaned out by Newcastle in January and had been looked at by a number of EFL and National League clubs, including local side Gateshead.
Following his return from injury for Newcastle Under-21s against Middlesbrough last week, Parkinson said: “I was told before coming on to be myself, playing like I was before Christmas when I was scoring goals and playing with confidence. I think I've also took a lot of confidence from my rehab and although it came at an unfortunate time, it was possibly the right thing for me and I was trying to take the positives from that.
“It couldn't have come at a worse time. I did it on New Years’ Day and the January transfer window was something I was looking forward to, trying to get out and play senior football but that didn't happen.
“I want to give thanks to the medical team, Carl [Nelson] and Andy [Campbell] who got me back to full fitness and I'm now looking forward to the rest of the season.”
In addition to Parkinson and Neave, Newcastle also once again called up 17-year-old right-back Leo Shahar to train with the first team in order to aid his development.
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