Newcastle United head to Manchester for their Premier League clash with Manchester City today and have gained a huge injury boost ahead of their trip.
The Magpies could climb back into the top four this afternoon if they can take all three points from the Etihad Stadium, and Eddie Howe will be hopeful they can take something away from their travels.
Newcastle have an exciting month ahead of them with another Carabao Cup final secured at Wembley and will face Liverpool in their pursuit of bringing the first major trophy back to Tyneside in over half a century.
They also progressed to the fifth round of the FA Cup after knocking out Birmingham City and welcome Brighton and Hove Albion to St James’ Park next month, another opportunity to add silverware.
Attentions turn this weekend to Premier League action and the Geordies are currently in a great position to secure Champions League football, but only if they can maintain some consistency, as the competition for European qualification spots tightens.
Newcastle matches today’s opponents for 41 points in the league table, and with Chelsea suffering a defeat at the AMEX stadium last night, it leaves the fourth spot wide open for either Man City or Newcastle to capitalise.
Howe will be aware of the opportunity ahead of him and his team this afternoon and taking all three points away from the North West could put them ahead in their ambitions over a competitor for a Champions League spot.
Newcastle have been handed a huge injury boost ahead of today’s outing as winger Harvey Barnes is back in contention after suffering a thigh injury and travelled with the squad to Manchester.
Fans on social media spotted the talented 27-year-old stepping off the bus when the Newcastle squad arrived in Manchester, however, it is unclear whether he will feature in the squad today with Eddie Howe leaving his imminent involvement a mystery when addressing the player’s fitness in his press conference.
The ex-Bournemouth boss revealed:
“I am really pleased with how he has looked. He is not far at all, another one that can soon be in contention.”
Will Harvey Barnes return against Man City?
The clash with Manchester City might come too soon for Barnes, but there is no doubt that his return will be a huge boost to the team as they head into the business end of the season.
Newcastle’s lack of quality squad depth has been a hindrance on many occasions over the season so far and with no new signings made in January, Howe must find a way to manage his squad to get the best out of them with a Premier League campaign to complete and two domestic trophy opportunities.
The return of Barnes gives Howe not only a game-changer to rely on from the bench when a fresh perspective is needed in the forward line, but allows him to rotate Anthony Gordon when possible too, and could potentially be seen starting against Brighton in the FA Cup for example.
With that being said, having Barnes available will be a massive boost for Newcastle when they are searching for a goal in upcoming games and will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the remainder of their campaign.
