Newcastle United Australia: Eddie Howe has provided details on his squad for the post-season trip to Australia.
Following their final match of the 2023-24 Premier League season, a 4-2 victory against Brentford, Newcastle United swiftly headed to Australia for a series of post-season friendly games. The Magpies are scheduled to take on Tottenham Hotspur at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on May 22, followed by a match against an A-League All Stars XI at Marvel Stadium on May 24. However, key players Anthony Gordon and Fabian Schar will be absent from the squad for this trip, as head coach Eddie Howe revealed that both players have sustained new injuries.
Gordon suffered a calf injury during the 3-2 loss against Manchester United, leading to his exclusion from the Brentford trip. On the other hand, Schar encountered a hamstring injury upon his return to the starting lineup at the Gtech Community Stadium. Eddie Howe informed The Gazette that Gordon will not be part of the Australia trip, stating, “He had a scan shortly after the Manchester game. While we don’t consider it a severe injury, it is significant enough to sideline him for today’s match and the upcoming trip to Australia.”
Regarding Schar, Howe commented, “Fabby put in a strong performance today upon his comeback from injury. I was pleasantly surprised because I had initially thought he might be sidelined for the remainder of the season, but he has demonstrated remarkable determination to make a comeback. Towards the end, he seemed to be sensing some discomfort in his hamstring, but I don’t believe it’s too serious.”Howe further mentioned that all available players who were present at the Brentford match on Sunday would be part of the travel squad. He stated, “As far as I know, unless there are any unforeseen developments, all players here today will be included in the travel group. This includes every player who is fit and ready to go.”
In addition to Schar and Gordon, a few other first-team players have not been included in the travel squad. Sandro Tonali will miss out as he continues to serve his 10-month betting ban. Goalkeepers Martin Dubravka and Loris Karius have also been omitted from the squad. Karius is set to officially depart Newcastle next month when his contract expires, while Dubravka’s future at the club remains uncertain following Nick Pope’s return from injury. Teenager Aidan Harris and Mark Gillespie will accompany Pope as Newcastle’s goalkeeping options for the Australia trip.
Midfielder Sean Longstaff was also excluded from the squad list despite playing the full match against Brentford. Other notable absentees include injured players such as Tino Livramento, Matt Targett, Sven Botman, Jamaal Lascelles, Lewis Miley, and Joe Willock.The squad will be bolstered by the inclusion of several youngsters, including Dylan Charlton, Alex Murphy, Ciaran Thompson, Lucas De Bolle, Travis Hernes, Ellis Stanton, Jay Turner-Cooke, Joe White, Amadou Diallo, and Ben Parkinson. Harrison Ashby and Garang Kuol have also been named in the squad after returning from loan spells at Swansea City and Volendam, respectively.
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