In 11 days time Newcastle United will return to action with a Premier League fixture at St. James’ Park against West Ham United. As many as three players, consisting of Kieran Trippier, Tino Livramento and Harvey Barnes, could return to the squad on that Saturday.
Let’s cover that troika, starting with Trippier, as well as the rest of Toon’s walking wounded, here. Happy international break everyone.
Trippier suffered a calf injury back on March 2, in the 3-0 win over Wolverhampton. Manager Eddie Howe said then: “A minor injury, but the scan showed enough to probably keep him out for the next two games. Hopefully, he’ll be back for the first game after the break but that’s not absolutely guaranteed.”
So he’s a doubt for the next clash, but could be in the mix. The outlook is better for Harvey Barnes, who has a thigh injury. Said Howe on the Ides of March four days ago: “Harvey won’t make the squad [for tomorrow], but we hope he will be back for West Ham.”
And shifting gears to Tino, Howe gave the following update on his ankle knock on Saturday:
“It was a twist of the ankle against Chelsea. We knew the day after the game that he wasn’t going to make this weekend. We don’t think it’s serious, and we hope he’ll be back for the next match.”
Elsewhere Nick Pope is still recovering from shoulder surgery, and should be back next month, albeit later in the month. Joelinton (thigh) and Callum Wilson (pectoral tear) are out until May while Sven Botman (knee) is out indefinitely.
And of course Sandro Tonali remains suspended until the end of the season.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Twitter.