Newcastle United were hit with a fresh injury blow after Joe Willock was taken off during a pre-season game against Team K-League last week.
It is fair to say that the midfielder has not had the best of luck with injuries in recent seasons, but is a terrific player when he is at his best.
Unfortunately, the 25-year-old struggled with both injury and form during the 2024/25 campaign, leading to questions over what part he will play for Newcastle United in the future.
Joe Willock has been a big part of Eddie Howe’s pre-season plans, with the hope he could regain his form and give himself a chance of breaking back into the starting XI. However, disaster struck when Willock stayed down injured after a tackle late on in a pre-season game in South Korea.
Howe confirmed Willock will miss at least four weeks of action due to a calf problem, meaning he should be back for games in September. With Willock suffering yet another injury, it begs the question of whether Newcastle should dip into the transfer market to find a midfielder who struggles far less from injury.
The Magpies can sign another young midfielder for less than they bought Willock for in 2021.
Javi Guerra during a pre-season game between Borussia Mönchengladbach and Valencia
Photo by Oliver Kaelke/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images
Newcastle United should sign Javi Guerra after Joe Willock injury setback
Howe will be keen on signing a youthful midfielder he can mould and have as a replacement for the likes of Joelinton or Bruno Guimaraes in the future.
While the likes of Douglas Luiz have been linked, Newcastle should look to sign 22-year-old Javi Guerra from Valencia. The midfielder was a big part of the La Liga strugglers last season, and could move on in pursuit of the next step in his career if the price is right.
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Guerra played against the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, helping his side beat the former away from home in May. Reports have stated that Manchester United are also interested in Guerra, who could cost just £23million this summer (Marca), but any interested party must be quick if they wish to sign him, as Valencia are hoping to tie the Spain Under-21s star down to a new deal soon.
Unlike Willock, Guerra has virtually no injury history and has accumulated over 5,000 minutes of La Liga action over the last two seasons.
2024/25 La Liga statistics Javi Guerra
Appearances 36
Minutes 2,594
Tackles/90 1.4
Passes/90 34.8
Goals 3
Assists 3
What Eddie Howe has said about signing a midfielder this summer
With Willock injured, it leaves Newcastle down to the bare bones in midfield. The starting options of Joelinton, Sandro Tonali and Guimaraes are virtually impenetrable, but there is a clear lack of depth if one of them suffers an injury.
Sean Longstaff was sold to Leeds United, so Lewis Miley is the only option available while Willock is out. Howe has seen the concerns over a lack of depth and experience, and has made it clear that he would like to recruit more bodies in the position.
❌ Joe Willock will miss 4-6 weeks with a calf injury
👍 Eddie Howe is relieved it is not the midfielder's achilles, as was first thought, & says the news is positive, compared to what it could have been #nufc pic.twitter.com/gx8bPlny9Z
— Craig Hope (@CraigHope_DM) August 2, 2025
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Speaking to the Chronicle about Newcastle’s midfield last weekend, Howe said: “We want six – and now we are down to four. So that is an issue for us and it is a position that we are looking at.
While a striker appears to be the priority at the moment, there could be more activity further down the pitch later on in the transfer window.