Newcastle could be dealt another blow as midfielder Joe Willock looks set to see a specialist after he suffered a recurrence of his achilles injury.
The midfielder missed the 4-1 win over Chelsea and won’t play any part in the Champions League encounter against Paris St-Germain on Tuesday night.
When asked about a return date for the ex-Arsenal man, Howe was despondent in his response after the victory over Chelsea.
Speaking after the three points at St James’ Park, Howe told The Chronicle: “It looks like a recurrence of an Achilles injury that he had a few weeks ago. It’s a massive blow for us.
“We don’t know how long he’s going to be out, we’re going to have to seek specialist advice, but it’s a huge blow for us.”
The Magpies currently have 12 players sidelined with injuries with the squad currently threadbare and even weaker with Matt Ritchie and Emil Krafth not registered in Europe.
Willock has been a key performer when fit for Newcastle but has struggled for fitness this season due to an ongoing achilles problem. He scored against Manchester United in the League Cup at the start of November with many expecting his luck to change after playing 90 minutes against Bournemouth before the international break.
Why do Newcastle keep suffering injuries?
Newcastle are a unique side in how they approach games. They like to play with high intensity with Howe pushing his side hard and that’s been showcased in several games already this season.
However, that can have a reverse impact on the team and with the lack of strength in depth, the same players can become used. There’s an element of luck involved with injuries of course, but at the same time, Howe could change his system to suit.
That being said, it’s a winning system. There shouldn’t be a need to change a winning system and certainly injuries shouldn’t impact that, although with the current number of players out, that might change.
