This is a big weekend for [Newcastle United](https://readnewcastle.com/2026/08/28/newcastle-united-ready-make-offer-croatian-midfielder/), as they are set to take on Tottenham Hotspur. The Magpies actually exceeded expectations in their opening game of the Premier League season against Liverpool, earning themselves a 2-2 draw.
That was followed by an underwhelming League Cup outing against West Bromwich Albion. So, it is hard to judge where this team stands at this moment in time.
The performance and result against Tottenham Hotspur should clear up the picture a lot more. An away trip to London awaits for Matthias Jaissle’s men.
With Tottenham Hotspur recently signing Sandro Tonali for a club-record £100 million, that adds a bit of extra spice to this game, there is no doubt about that. Unforutnately, the Magpies will be without quite a few of their key players on the night.
Joelinton is one player expected to miss this game. According to [football.London](https://www.football.london/tottenham-hotspur-fc/players/tottenham-injury-news-newcastle-united-34536705), Jaissle said about his status:
> “He’s out for a couple of weeks.”
Another absentee is going to be Dan Burn. Jaissle said regarding the veteran centre-back:
> “With Dan, it’s clear that he will be out for a couple of weeks.”
Tino Livramento has been out of action since picking up an injury on the eve of the World Cup and missing the tournament as a result of it. He has returned to training since, but even then, he is not expected to be fit to feature against Tottenham Hotspur.
And the final absentee looks set to be William Osula. With Nick Woltemade struggling and question marks around his future, the 23-year-old is expected to feature prominently this season. But he has picked up an untimely injury.
The good news is that it is not thought to be a serious one. Jaissle said regarding Osula’s status:
> “We will need to see. Hopefully, it’s not that serious. He will be back as soon as possible as well. For now, it looks quite good.”
To be very honest, it is difficult to pick a favourite for this game. If this was matchday one, I would have picked Sputs without any doubt.
Newcastle United were coming off a terrible pre-season campaign and looked completely disjointed. On the other hand, Tottenham had splashed the cash all summer.
Yet, the opening matchday provided us with a very different picture of where we thought we stood in the Premier League. Newcastle United drew against Liverpool while Tottenham were handed a 3-0 defeat by Brentford.
Tottenham’s 5-1 win in midweek must have given them a much-needed confidence booster. But at the end of the day, the gap between these two teams might not be as wide as once thought.