Newcastle United’s Champions League rivals have been warned about a potential injury this weekend - as the Magpies sweat over the fitness of Alexander Isak.
Five teams will head into Sunday hoping to qualify for next season’s Champions League. Just three of those will finish in the top five with Liverpool and Arsenal already assured of a first and second place finish.
Newcastle United host Everton knowing that a win will be enough to ensure they qualify for the Champions League, whilst Man City face Fulham in a very strong position also. Nottingham Forest welcome Chelsea to the City Ground in what could be a straight shootout, whilst Aston Villa travel to Old Trafford with every chance of overthrowing one of the three teams that will start Sunday above them in the table.
Youri Tielemans injury warning
However, ahead of their trip to the red half of Manchester, Unai Emery has been warned about overusing one of his key players. Youri Tielemans has been one of Villa’s star men this campaign, but has missed their last two matches with a calf injury.
With such an important game to come, Emery may opt to bring the midfielder back at the weekend, but he is set to face the wrath of Belgium manager Rudi Garcia if he does so. Garcia, who has named Tielemans in his upcoming squad, believes that Emery should rest the midfielder this weekend and believes his minutes have already been mismanaged this season, to the detriment of the player and national team: “Obviously, there’s the final match for Aston Villa this weekend,” Garcia said.
“But what matters is that Youri is fully recovered. Not necessarily that he plays in the last match.
“He’s already played plenty this season. I think he’s the player who has played the most. I would even say it’s not surprising that he got injured, because to me, he played too much.”
He continued: “I think within Aston Villa’s squad, there were ways to give him some rest at times. I know Boubacar Kamara well, because I was the one who gave him his debut at Marseille.
“He was a central defender, and I turned him into a midfielder. That speaks to the kind of position changes we could consider, maybe even at right-back, with players from the national team.
“They have McGinn who can play there too. So in my opinion, they really had plenty of players to give Youri a break and avoid injury.”
Alexander Isak injury latest
Newcastle United, meanwhile, will be hoping that their key man is fit enough to start against the Toffees. Isak missed Sunday’s defeat at Arsenal due to a minor groin injury that was picked up on the morning of the game.
Isak has scored 23 Premier League goals this season and will be keen to end a memorable campaign on a high. He netted against the Toffees in this fixture last season, but missed the reverse fixture at Goodison Park back in October as Anthony Gordon deputised up-front in his absence against his former employers.
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