Eddie Howe has been on media duties this morning, speaking to the press ahead of the Carabao Cup final this weekend.
Newcastle United take on Arne Slot’s Liverpool in Sunday’s 4.30pm showdown at Wembley, looking to end our 70-year wait for a domestic trophy as thousands of Mags travel to London hoping for silverware.
A massive occasion and the biggest game of our season by some distance, making Eddie Howe’s comments this morning all the more reassuring as he offered an update on injuries and availability.
Here’s what he had to say on all things Newcastle United heading into Sunday’s final:
The press conference started with the news we all wanted to hear; aside from the obvious absentees, Newcastle United have a “fully fit squad” for the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.
Lewis Hall (ankle) and Sven Botman (knee) have already been ruled out, with Anthony Gordon suspended, but this morning’s updates from Howe and Alexander Isak confirm the Swede is fit and ready to start, with no fresh concerns to report.
Here are some of the key quotes from the manager, who also discussed team selection, Dan Burn’s first England call-up, the impact fans can have on Sunday and our focus on this weekend’s final.
Howe on injuries and availability – “Lewis Hall and Sven Botman are recovering after their operations, Anthony is suspended, but apart from that we hope to have the full squad.”
Howe on our focus heading into the final – “We’ve had a really tough run in the Carabao Cup, we have gone from round to round. There has been a lot less noise and emotion and hopefully that helps us in our performance in our game. We have been very much focused on our game plan. We are very positive. Our destiny is in our own hands. It is about us delivering a great performance.”
Howe on team selection – “There are always decisions to make, that will be no different for this game. We don’t have a huge pool of players, we have a very tight squad, we are in a good place after the win on Monday night and that was a big thing for us. The players are in a good place. Everyone wants to play in these bigger games.”
Howe on Dan Burn’s England call-up – “Incredible moment for Dan, there is no one more deserving in my opinion. Such an inspiring guy and a talented player, it is a great football story, Dan has had to do it the hard way coming through the leagues. He is the model professional; he is so committed to what he does. His character is so stable and so level, I am so pleased for him on a personal level.”
Howe on the impact our fans can have – “They always are, we know from the last time we got to the final, the feeling of support and unity. We are absolutely going to need them; we need every bit of help we can to push ourselves over the line.”
🗣️ “No-one more deserving”
Eddie Howe reacts to the news that Dan Burn has been called up to the England squad 🏴 pic.twitter.com/6iO6XOXiGk
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 14, 2025
Wembley awaits and the chance to end our 70-year wait for silverware. Howay the lads!