Eddie Howe admitted it is difficult to put a positive spin on the unavailability of left-sided duo Lewis Hall and Anthony Gordon for the Carabao Cup final versus Liverpool.
Left-back Hall is set to miss the remainder of the season with a foot injury, while Gordon is suspended after picking up a red card during Newcastle’s FA Cup defeat by Brighton last weekend.
Gordon was dismissed for shoving Jan Paul van Hecke in the face and has faced criticism for the needlessness of his actions in the days since the match, and Howe admitted he will be a big miss.
“It’s a big blow for us because that left side has been a constant source of creativity for us this year,” Howe told Sky Sports. “I think both players have been outstanding. I don’t quite know how to put a positive spin on it but I’ll try: [it creates] opportunities for other players and we’ll just have to try and find a solution but really disappointed with both players [missing the final].”
Newcastle last contested a cup final in 2023, when it also went into the match without a key player due to suspension after goalkeeper Nick Pope was sent off in a league match against Liverpool the week before the final.
“Initially I didn’t think anything [to do with the Carabao Cup final after Gordon was sent off] because I was so focused on the game that I wasn’t really aware of the repercussions for Anthony,” Howe added. “But of course when the dust settled on the game and it quickly became apparent that he was going to miss the final, and obviously with Lewis’s news, yeah, similarities [with Pope being sent off in 2023] yeah. That’s the only similarity.
“Hopefully we can put the disappointment behind us and move forward as a team because we have to, I think both players would want us to do that in a really positive way. They’re going to be keen to see the lads do well, so that’s our challenge now: to regroup.”
