MY ACCOUNT
Eddie Howe is concerned about the injury sustained by Joe Willock in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Bournemouth, where Newcastle United also saw Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin forced off.
Almiron fired home at the end of the first half to cancel out Marcos Senesi’s opener, but fourth-place Newcastle could not find a winner as Howe was held on his return to his former club.
Newcastle are now unbeaten in a club record-equalling 17 league games, although five of their past six matches have finished all square, while only Reims (12) have drawn more times across Europe’s top five leagues.
While Newcastle have stuttered somewhat by their previous high standards, of more concern to Howe will be the fitness of three key players ahead of the EFL Cup final against Manchester United on February 26.
Almiron went off with 10 minutes left after appearing to suffer a wrist injury, while Saint-Maximin’s game was ended after what looked to be an innocuous collision.
Howe does not believe either injury is too serious, but Willock’s hamstring issue is more worrying ahead of that Wembley showdown in two weeks’ time.
“Miggy [Almiron] and Max, I don’t think they’re too bad,” Howe said at his post-match press conference. “Miggy, I think, got stamped on his hand, so we think he’ll be okay.
“Maxi was just a knock. The concern from today is Joe Willock, who has gone off with a hamstring problem.”
Willock has featured in all 22 of Newcastle’s league games this season, starting all but two of those, and has two goals and two assists to his name.
Senesi’s close-range finish marked the first time Newcastle have conceded the opening goal in 15 top-flight games, with the previous occasion also coming against Bournemouth in September.
Almiron’s 10th Premier League goal of the season in 22 games – one more than he managed in 110 appearances in his first four seasons in the competition – earned the visitors a point that keeps them ahead of the chasing pack in the race for Champions League football, though Newcastle had Kieran Trippier to thank for a goal-line clearance from Dominic Solanke’s flick.
“It’s up to us to find solutions but the real positive is we are not losing games,” Howe added.
“Despite not winning, we’re keeping our points tally moving in the right direction and if you look around league, the league is so tight.
“There are a lot of results that mean the challenge for us is to be as consistent as we can. We’re going through a phase where we’re creating chances but not scoring and I think that will end, I don’t think that can continue.”
