Newcastle United host Nottingham Forest at St James’ Park on Sunday in a meeting of two sides stuck in the lower half of the Premier League table after six games.
Eddie Howe’s lads come in off a strong Champions League win over Union SG, while Ange Postecoglou’s Forest are yet to find their second league victory under his tenure.
Forest’s midweek Europa League defeat to Midtjylland extended their poor run and intensified pressure on Postecoglou, who has now gone six games without a win in all competitions
since taking charge, their last win coming all the way back in Aug. 17.
Murillo suffered a thigh problem in that loss and will not feature on Sunday, while Oleksandr Zinchenko, Douglas Luiz and Ola Aina are also unavailable. Former Magpie target-man Chris Wood, who scored from the penalty spot in Europe, is likely to lead the line in Tyneside.
Newcastle responded to their late league defeat to Arsenal with a convincing 4-0 away win in Belgium. Goals from Anthony Gordon, Harvey Barnes and Nick Woltemade underlined attacking progress, while the clean sheet built on a solid recent defensive record. That said — and yes, it was the Belgian champion — the competition was subpar compared to the Premier League behemoths, so take that win with a grain of salt.
Howe’s side, in fact, has only one win in six league matches and sits narrowly above Forest in the standings. Injuries also remain a concerning issue with Tino Livramento sidelined for two months, Yoane Wissa also ruled out longer than expected, and Fabian Schar doubtful. There is some relief with Jacob Ramsey close to returning from an ankle problem, but we’ll see to what extent he plays and if he makes a cameo at all on Sunday.
Here are some of Howe’s Wisdom Nuggets, courtesy of NUFC.co.uk
On Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League, triumph in Belgium, the club’s biggest ever victory in the competition:
“It was a big step forward and very pleased, mainly with the response from the Arsenal game. It was a difficult ending and then we had another game so soon.
“We said straight after the game that we wanted it to come round as quickly as it did but then you’ve got to perform. I was very pleased with the group in how we responded to that.”
On Tino Livramento’s injury update:
“He went to see a specialist and the scan initially looked better than we thought it was. The specialist confirmed it is an eight-week injury, which is a blow for us with the number of games we have in that period.
“It is a ligament injury and that’s why it will take time to recover. He’s already had a couple of injections in the ligament to strengthen it up.”
On Anthony Elanga, who joined the Magpies from Sunday’s visitors last summer:
“Whenever he’s played, he has had a number of big contributions. He is a very good crosser of the ball, whether that is early or working towards the byline. He is a productive player, playing with confidence and good rhythm.
“It’s about getting to know your teammates around you and it’s so important to how we play, the relationship side. He will get better with each game in that respect.”
On Nottingham Forest, who have recorded one win in their last seven Premier League trips to St. James’ Park:
“They have a very strong group of players, a slight change in style [and] more possession based. They’re quite free in their movements, with a lot of rotation in the attacking areas.
“They have a good balance to their squad, Ange is an outstanding manager with a good track record so we know this game is a pivotal one for us going into the international break. Our Premier League form is crucial to us.”
On Nick Woltemade, who is aiming for a third goal in as many competitive fixtures this weekend:
“He’s a really great guy in a sense that he’s very positive. He’s continually laughing with his teammates. He seems very relaxed and at home already, which is absolutely crucial to his success on the pitch.
“The most important thing for any goalscorer is he’s scoring and as long as he can continue to do that, his own feeling will be really positive.
“His ability to take balls in tight areas is very good. His teammates, most importantly, have begun to understand his game. They really trust him with the ball.”
On Fabian Schär and Lewis Hall, who both returned to action against Union Saint-Gilloise on Wednesday night:
“Fab has been good. Of course, concussion protocols we respect and understand. He followed it and now he’s back and has been good.
“Lewis has been more complex, just trying to get him to feel totally confident in his body again. He is doing well but we need to make sure we monitor his progress.”
Howay!
- Date: Sunday, October 5th
- Kick-off: 15:00 BST / 9:00 EST
- Location: St. James’ Park, Newcastle (England)
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