Newcastle have several players battling various fitness issues just 13 days out from the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool, and they also have a possible red card appeal to consider.
Liverpool and the Magpies will meet at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final on March 16, but the casualties are starting to add up for Eddie Howe’s side as their season begins to stutter.
Newcastle have won only one of their last four games in all competitions, with their latest seeing them exit the FA Cup at the hands of Brighton.
It was a damaging fixture as they lost Anthony Gordon to a straight red card for violent conduct after a push on Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke, which means he will be banned for three games.
It rules the former Everton man out of the final but Howe did not rule out an appeal, saying: “If we analyse the incident and feel there’s grounds for that [an appeal], we will do without hesitation.”
It looked a textbook red card and the odds will not be in their favour, but that is only one of a handful of concerns for Howe and Co. with several fitness issues amongst his squad.
Leading goalscorer Alexander Isak was forced off before Sunday’s match went into extra time, Tino Livramento struggled to finish the game and Kieran Trippier was also forced off.
Howe told the press, including the Northern Echo: “Tino was clearly struggling, although I think it was cramp more than an injury.
“He was limited, and that limited us a lot, although I thought the players around him covered that really well.
“Alex [Isak] just felt a bit of general tightness. I don’t think it was an injury, it was just general tightness, but we felt as though he had to come off.
“Kieran felt his back, so we were navigating a lot of problems through that game that we hope don’t have long-term consequences for us because we have such a small squad.”
Full-back Lewis Hall has been sent to see a specialist after an ankle injury sustained against Liverpool, with “no timescale” available on his return ahead of the final in 13 days.
Defender Sven Botman has yet to make his injury return as he “didn’t feel 100 percent confident in his body” and Newcastle didn’t want to “risk him.”
Newcastle have just one game between now and the final – a trip to West Ham – and it is clear that there is time for some, if not all the abovementioned players to recover to face Liverpool.
Slot’s side, meanwhile, are currently without three players and will face Southampton and twice meet PSG before they walk out of the Wembley tunnel on March 16.
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