Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe has delivered a reassuring update on the fitness of Alexander Isak ahead of Monday’s Premier League game against West Ham United.
The Sweden international was forced off a few minutes before the end of the 90 minutes in last weekend’s 2-1 FA Cup loss to Brighton & Hove Albion, but Howe has affirmed that he was only suffering from fatigue and tightness.
As a result, Isak is expected to be given the green light to start against the Hammers, but the same cannot be said for Anthony Gordon, who begins a three-match ban for violent conduct after his red card in the Seagulls defeat.
Gordon’s suspension may be a blessing in disguise for this game at least, though, as his inevitable replacement Harvey Barnes has scored six Premier League goals against West Ham United, his best record against a single team.
Barnes and Gordon actually started together last weekend, but the former should now move out to the left as Jacob Murphy returns to the right-hand side of the attack.
Both Murphy and Bruno Guimaraes failed to make the first XI against Brighton, but the latter is also set for a recall to the engine room, most likely in place of Lewis Miley as Joelinton and Sandro Tonali hold their spots.
As Lewis Hall and Sven Botman are now both out for the long-term due to injury, there should be no alteration to the defensive quartet of Fabian Schar, Dan Burn, Tino Livramento and Kieran Trippier, assuming the latter can recover from a back problem.
However, a change is likely in between the posts, as Martin Dubravka should hand the gloves over to Nick Pope.
Newcastle United possible starting lineup:
Pope; Trippier, Schar, Burn, Livramento; Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Murphy, Isak, Barnes
> Click here to see how West Ham could line up for this game
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