Newcastle's injuries are mounting ahead of the League Cup Final
Newcastle United suffered a shocking defeat in the fifth round of the FA Cup to Brighton at St. James’ Park on Sunday, March 2. It was one of the worst results of the season, considering the FA Cup is wide open this season with England’s two best teams, Liverpool and Arsenal, getting knocked out early.
It would have been a great result for Newcastle, but Brighton had different plans with Danny Welbeck scoring a late winner. That was a big blow, and manager Eddie Howe also had to deal with the squad's depth ahead of the League Cup Final against Liverpool.
Newcastle is shorthanded for the Final
During the match against Brighton, winger Anthony Gordon was shown a red card. That ruled him out for the League Cup Final against Liverpool, which will be played at Wembley on the 16th of March.
There are also concerns with injuries as left-back Lewis Hall does not have a timescale for his return date. At the same time, centre-back Sven Botman is still not at 100%, so Howe is concerned about what can happen for this team in the final few months of the season.
With less than two weeks before the League Cup Final, the Magpies are heavy underdogs. Liverpool have been rolling this season, and aside from their embarrassing loss to Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup, they have been nearly flawless this season. It makes for a tough matchup because Newcastle could pull off the upset, but their squad might be too thin.
Newcastle must succeed this season for their future
Getting into the Champions League spots is an important goal for the Magpies. They want to retain the money they are getting from UEFA, which could help them retain some of their players. Due to the profit and sustainability rules, they might not be able to afford this squad next season if they don’t qualify for the UCL.
The biggest name is Isak, who will fetch over £100 million in the transfer market. That could resolve the PSR issues, but they do not want to let go of the Swedish striker since he has been the superstar for this club.
Getting into the UCL is also appealing to players outside the club. They might consider going to the northeast region of England if they see Newcastle playing well enough to reach the Champions League again. It will be a challenging few months, but Newcastle has enough high-level players.
They need to get healthy soon if they want to secure a spot in the Champions League. Both Nottingham Forest and Chelsea have surprised everyone by their quality this season, but Newcastle must qualify as they are the most talented team out of the three.
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