According to a recent update, things aren’t looking good for Newcastle United right now and they have now suffered a new injury blow in addition to the concern for Sven Botman.
Who is injured for Newcastle?
The Magpies had such a strong season the previous time around, finishing fourth in the Premier League and returning to the Champions League, but so far, things in 2023/24 aren’t going as planned.
On the first weekend of the season, the team easily defeated Aston Villa 5-1 at home. However, since then, the team has suffered three straight losses. They lost 1-0 to Manchester City away, which was not terrible, but losing to Liverpool with 10 men was extremely unfortunate, as was Saturday’s 3-1 loss at Brighton.
As a result, St. James’ Park is in a very depressing tone as the international break approaches. Without the crucial Botman, Newcastle appeared more exposed in the back against Brighton. Another setback has occurred over the course of the international break, as Joe Willock is also temporarily absent despite not having played yet this season.
Alex Murphy for Newcastle is hurt, right?
Newcastle World has reported that young Magpies player Alex Murphy is now also out injured and will not be participating in the international break:
Young defender Alex Murphy of Newcastle United has been forced to skip international duty due to an injury. The Wigan Athletic defender Baba Adeeko has taken the position of the 19-year-old who was called up to the Republic of Ireland’s Under-21 squad for Euro qualifiers against Turkey and San Marino.
“Ireland disclosed Murphy suffered an injury during the young Magpies’ 4-0 loss against Manchester City Under-21s on Saturday and was consequently unavailable in a statement released on Monday morning.
Even if Murphy isn’t now a crucial player for Newcastle, this is nevertheless a setback for the club at a trying time. Eddie Howe is probably starting to feel like everyone is against him, and the depth of his squad is decreasing. There are also concerns regarding Joelinton’s fitness.
The excellent centre-back, who is only 19 years old, has played 22 times for the Under-21s and has also earned nine caps for the Republic of Ireland’s Under-19 team. Howe himself has praised him in the past, saying:
“I thought he was fantastic, absolutely fantastic. It’s a very difficult environment to enter, especially if you’re slightly out of place. But he maintained his composure and made a strong defense. I was quite happy with him.
“I’ve liked Alex forever. He is a really skilled technician, in my opinion. But it’s truly when you’re in this setting—a packed stadium, Premier League opposition—that you learn about players. He can be extremely proud of his evening’s effort.
Murphy continues to develop as a footballer and is hoped to push for first-team action in the near future, therefore it is hoped that his absence will only be temporary and will allow him to be healthy once the international break is over.
However, getting Botman back in shape is currently more crucial for Newcastle because, as the defeat against Brighton demonstrated, the Magpies cannot afford to be without the center-back for a lengthy period of time. Goals were given up far too cheaply.
