Howe hints at January U-turn as injury crisis enters "dangerous territory"
Newcastle United's injury crisis went from bad to worse last night, putting a black mark on an otherwise successful night at St James' Park.
Going into the game, we were already without several defenders. Dan Burn, Sven Botman, Kieran Trippier and Emil Krafth were all out, then there was the pre-match news on Lewis Hall's minor hamstring issue.
To make matters even worse, Tino Livramento was forced off on 75 minutes after feeling his knee once again, creating a nervous wait as the full-back faces a scan today.
Earlier this week, following news of Burn's four to six week injury, the Northern Echo reported that Newcastle were 'unlikely' to recall Matt Targett from his loan spell with Middlesbrough. But that may have changed.
Hall's hamstring issue may be minor, but with no other senior left-back cover and Tino's knee issue a huge concern, Howe was asked about our option to recall Targett after last night's game.
Howe's comments suggest that may now be a serious option under consideration, with the boss opening the door to his return now our injury situation at the back has reached "dangerous territory."
"Yeah, we'll make that decision (on Targett) closer to the date when we have to."But certainly at the moment I don't have many more rabbits to pull out of the hat.
"We're in dangerous territory, so let's see."
Newcastle have the option to activate their recall clause, and I suspect our decision may hinge on three key factors.
- How bad is Tino Livramento's injury?
- How minor is Lewis Hall's hamstring issue?
- Are we in a position to sign full-back cover?
In reality, we'll be hoping that all three scenarios fall in our favour, with the latter a preferrable route given cover is needed anyway, with Trippier, Targett and Krafth all out of contract at the end of the season.
Either way, let's hope Tino and Hall are back soon, with the pair key to how we play in the midst of this hectic fixture schedule.
