Following a vital 2-1 win at Tottenham, last night was largely full of positives for Newcastle United.
A win that created a new sense of belief and unity at the full-time whistle, a rare three points on the road, Jacob Ramsey’s best performance yet since a £40m move and signs of promise from £50m winger Anthony Elanga.
Alongside Bruno Guimaraes’ potential hamstring injury, however, there was pre-match news on Lewis Miley’s absence.
Not only did The Mail’s Craig Hope reveal that the 19-year-old midfielder was not with the squad, he shared some worrying news on his recovery from a dead leg.
In his WhatsApp group, Hope exclusively revealed that the Geordie talent may not be back for a “couple of weeks”, describing it as a “big blow” for Newcastle that he’s struggling to recover.
He said: “I’m hearing Lewis Miley won’t make tonight. His dead leg has not recovered in time and, after further checks, it could be a couple of weeks before he returns. A big blow for Newcastle.”
If true and we don’t see Miley for the majority of this month, he’ll sit out upcoming away games to Aston Villa, Qarabag and Man City, with Hope’s timeframe also raising doubts about his availability for the Champions League return leg in two weeks time.
Speaking about Miley (and Joelinton’s) absence last night, Howe said: “We’re missing Lewie massively. He’s a huge player for us, and so of course is Joelinton in our midfield. They’re two high-level players.
“We’ve spoken many times about the defensive injuries that we’ve had this season – we just hope we haven’t lost Bruno. That would be the real negative of the night.”
With Bruno set for scans and no sign of Miley or Joelinton returning imminently, let’s hope Ramsey and Willock can build on last night’s display alongside a rested Tonali.