Newcastle United will make a late call on Fabian Schar ahead of this afternoon’s Premier League clash against AFC Bournemouth.
Eddie Howe’s side have been without the 33-year-old for three of their last four games, firstly through suspension and then illness.
Schar was banned for away wins at Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal but returned to the starting XI for last Sunday’s 3-1 win over Bromley in the third round of the FA Cup.
Howe was facing the difficult decision of deciding between Schar and Sven Botman against Wolves on Tuesday. However, the decision was ultimately made for him after Schar missed out through illness.
Asked if Schar will be back for the visit of Bournemouth, Howe said: “We’ll make a decision today. Fabby trained yesterday but was not yet 100% himself in terms of his well-being.
“Nasty cough, I think he had a nasty illness so we’ll see how he has recovered today and then make a decision whether he is fit enough to be involved.”
Otherwise there are no fresh injuries to report. As revealed earlier this week, Harvey Barnes is sidelined for the next month with a thigh muscle problem, joining Callum Wilson (hamstring), Jamaal Lascelles (ACL) and Nick Pope (knee) in the treatment room.
Newcastle will record a 10th straight victory in all competitions for the first time in their entire history if Howe can get the better of his former side today.
And Alexander Isak can also continue his red hot streak by scoring in ninth consecutive Premier League match.
Here’s how Newcastle United are expected to line-up:
9. RW: Jacob Murphy
Murphy has emerged as a very important player for Newcastle this season. | Getty Images
10. LW: Anthony Gordon
Following a slow start to the campaign, Gordon has hit a rich vein of form of late with five goals in his last six matches. | Getty Images
11. ST: Alexander Isak
The man everybody is talking about. Can he score for a ninth consecutive Premier League game? | Getty Images