Newcastle United remain without a handful of first-team players for this afternoon’s Premier League clash against Manchester City.
Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles are long-term absentees with ACL injuries while Callum Wilson (hamstring) and Lewis Miley (metatarsal) won’t return until after the October international break.
Eddie Howe has also confirmed Matt Targett will miss the Man City game. The 29-year-old hasn’t been named in the last two matchday squads against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham, and the reason for that has now been revealed.
Speaking at Friday’s pre-match press conference, Howe said: “I don’t think we’ll have anyone coming back that’s been out [injured]. Matt Targett has had a flare up of eczema so he’s been sort of nursing that for the last couple of weeks, quite a bad episode for him so we’re hoping to get him back training today but he won’t be involved in the game.
“Then we have the long-term injuries. In terms of fresh injuries, Alex [Isak] is still nursing that toe problem.”
Alexander Isak’s toe injury makes him a major doubt for the visit of Pep Guardiola’ side. The Sweden international first picked up the problem in the 2-2 draw at Wolves and required an injection in order to feature at Fulham last weekend.
“Yeah, he’d be a doubt for tomorrow,” Howe confirmed. “He trained last week before the Fulham game on the Friday. And he had an injection in his toe to play, he felt fine, but then he started to feel his toe in the last five to 10 minutes of that game.
“Then after the game it sort of stiffened up and wasn’t in a great place early in the week. So he hasn’t trained yet, so we’ll have to make a decision again as to whether he trains today or he misses the game.”
Howe added: “He’s had scans and lots of tests. The injury has been diagnosed fine – it sounds worse than it is, but he’s got a broken toe. But it’s one that can be managed and played with, provided he can tolerate the pain levels, and that will have no long-term risks.
“ He had an injection to numb the pain, and that was fine until the injection wore off. Let’s see how he is.”
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