Newcastle United fresh injury setback as £79m trio 'close' to return v Crystal Palace
Newcastle United team news ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash at home to Crystal Palace.
Newcastle United could be boosted by the return of three players for Sunday’s Premier League clash at home to Crystal Palace.
The Magpies have had just three senior defenders available in recent games, with Kieran Trippier, Tino Livramento, Jamaal Lascelles, Dan Burn, and Sven Botman unavailable due to injury.
That has seen midfielder Lewis Miley deployed as an emergency right-back with Malick Thiaw and Fabian Schar at centre-back and Lewis Hall at left-back.
Lewis Hall set to feature v Crystal Palace
Hall took a knock to his ankle during the 3-1 win at Burnley last time out but completed the game. And ahead of the Palace match, Eddie Howe expects to have the 21-year-old fit and available.
Howe said: “Yeah, he should be OK. We'll have a closer look at him today. But I don't see it being a big problem.”
Newcastle United official injury update ahead of Crystal Palace match
And the Magpies’ head coach has suggested Trippier, Livramento and Botman have a chance of being involved this weekend, though Krafth is “further back” despite it being said previously that he’d be back in and around the New Year.
“Krafth, no. He's further back,” Howe said. The others, yes. We've got a couple of training days, but Tino and Kieran have worked really well. They've had proper recovery periods, so they're both close.
“I've said time and again how well he's [Lewis Miley] done in a position that he's not played before. Again, against Burnley, I thought he was magnificent for us.
“But we'd love to get our full-backs back, fit and available, and boost the squad really in terms of numbers. We've been very thin on the ground for defenders, so that would be a big area.
In addition, £55million summer signing Anthony Elanga also has an outside chance of returning.
“They're close, yeah,” Howe added on Botman and Elanga. “They're both very close. Sven's been training with the group which has been great so envisaged that he will be in and around this game. Anthony hasn't trained with us yet but is very close to doing so.”