Newcastle United are still firmly in the running for the Champions League spots with 10 games left in the Premier League.
The last two weeks have been unforgettable, but it is now back to business for Eddie Howe and his squad.
Newcastle United are currently sixth in the Premier League table but have the chance to move into the top four with a win over Brentford on Wednesday night.
Howe took his pre-match press conference on Tuesday morning and ensured his side is ready for the final stages of the season following their Carabao Cup win over Liverpool in March.
Newcastle players partied in Dubai following the win, while other players were sent out on international duty. Howe insisted that even though there were celebrations, the players were still doing other activities that kept their fitness levels high while they were abroad.
Newcastle’s game against Brentford will be the Magpies’ first Premier League game since the cup win, and with all to play for, fans will be hoping that the team can carry the momentum from that day at Wembley into their return to St James’ Park.
While Howe prepares his side for an important clash, an announcement elsewhere has given them fresh confidence, qualifying for the Champions League at the end of the season.
Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
Manchester City confirm Erling Haaland injury amid tight Champions League race
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has been an unstoppable force since joining the Premier League side in 2023.
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In his Man City career, the Norwegian has scored 120 goals in 138 games, including 84 league goals. If he carries on scoring at the rate he has, he is sure to beat the record held by Alan Shearer in a few years’ time.
However, recent reports suggest that he is highly unlikely to add to his tally this season after picking up an injury against Bournemouth in the FA Cup over the weekend.
Those reports were then confirmed by Man City boss Pep Guardiola, who revealed the true extent of how long he will be out in his pre-match press conference.
“The doctors told me between five and seven weeks,” Guardiola said.
“So hopefully at the end of the season and World Cup he will be ready.”
The Premier League season is due to end on the 25th of May, so like Guardiola said, there is a chance he can come back before the end of the campaign.
His absence means that Man City will be without their goal machine for important league games against the likes of Manchester United, Aston Villa and Bournemouth.
It is not all doom and gloom for Guardiola, as he has former Newcastle target Omar Marmoush at his disposal. The Egyptian is a player Newcastle fans will want to forget after his hat-trick in a 4-0 defeat at the Etihad Stadium in February.
Newcastle must handle their own injury worries
While Newcastle may have a slight advantage in the striker department following Haaland’s injury, there are still a slew of injury worries that Howe is being forced to work around.
Anthony Gordon is suspended for the Brentford clash, but there was concern over how long he would be out after injuring his hip on international duty. Howe confirmed Gordon’s injury was not serious and predicted that he would be back for the game against Leicester next Monday.
Elsewhere, Lewis Hall’s ankle injury keeps him out until pre-season while defensive partner Sven Botman is not expected back until May.
The likes of Dan Burn, Alexander Isak and Tino Livramento all reported back to Newcastle with a clean bill of health.
Jamaal Lascelles is not expected back this season, meaning he may have already played his last game for the Magpies with his contract expiring at the end of the season.