Newcastle are set to be without Kieran Trippier for at least a few weeks, Newcastle Confidential can exclusively reveal.
The defender was replaced in the 71st minute of Saturday’s goalless draw at Everton but there was no confirmation of an injury after the game.
However, we understand that a hamstring strain will keep Trippier out of next weekend’s visit of Brighton. The issue is not thought to be too serious and the full prognosis is not yet known, but he is likely to be missing for a few weeks at least.
That will mean a recall to the starting XI for Tino Livramento, who had lost his place to Trippier after starting the season in the team, and the England squad member is a very able deputy.
But the fresh injury is a blow for Eddie Howe, who had seen his veteran right back make a positive impact since returning to the side.
Newcastle are set to be without Kieran Trippier for a number of weeks because of injury
The defender was replaced in the 71st minute of the draw with Everton but there were no reports of an injury after the game
Eddie Howe will be without him against Brighton but the issue is not understood to be serious
For me, the team is always better with Tripper in it, and he was building form and fitness in recent weeks. The worry would be that, as we saw with his calf injury last season, a muscle problem can linger for a 34-year-old. He missed two months then after an initial forecast of a few weeks.
Newcastle have five games before the November international break, including crucial Premier League clashes with Chelsea and Arsenal and a Carabao Cup fourth-round tie against the former at St James’ Park.
But here’s the good news…
In better injury news, Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson are on track to return against Brighton next Saturday.
Eddie Howe said at the weekend there was ‘no guarantee’ the pair would be fit for the first game back after the international break.
However, we understand there have been no setbacks and, as it stands, it is fully expected that both strikers will train in the build-up to the visit of the Seagulls and be part of the squad.
Wilson suffered a back injury at the start of pre-season and has not played since, while Isak broke his toe last month – as revealed by Confidential – and has missed the last three games.
In better news, however, Alexander Isak is on track to return against Brighton after injury
Callum Wilson, who suffered a back injury in pre-season, is also likely to feature in the game
Botman wait
One player we will have to wait to see, it appears, is Sven Botman.
The Dutch defender teased some images on his social media pages last week hinting that a return could be close. He has been sidelined since March after knee surgery.
However, Botman’s scheduled comeback remains, at best, some time in December.
Sela the buyer?
Newcastle shirt sponsor Sela have signalled their commitment to the UK market after talks to buy the world famous Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, we can exclusively reveal.
The Saudi events company – owned by the country’s Public Investment Fund, Newcastle’s majority owners – have been part of a bidding process and held discussions with Royal Parks of London, who founded the event in 2007.
Sela were said to be ‘seriously interested’ in taking over the running of the festival, which attracts 2.5million visitors each year, but have now decided to concentrate on other ventures.
The UK is a prime market for Sela and they are looking to invest in and manage live, prestigious events with large traffic and high-profile locations. Winter Wonderland is a prime example of the type of project they want to take on. They currently manage Boulevard World and Boulevard City in Riyadh and want to expand internationally.
This should all bode well for Newcastle, who signed a multi-year deal worth £25million per season with Sela last year. The hope is that the club and Sela can grow together and have a mutually beneficial relationship. Increased revenues and profile for Sela can only be good news for Newcastle.
Watch this space for news of Sela’s expansion within the UK over the coming months…
Sela have signalled their commitment to the UK market after talks to buy the world famous Hyde Park Winter Wonderland
Sven Botman, meanwhile, has hinted at a return but best-case scenario for a return is December
Toon to profit from City lawyers?
On the subject of club sponsors, we should not expect Newcastle to announce a vastly-inflated deal with a Saudi company in light of this week’s revelations concerning the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.
The reporting of my colleague Mike Keegan revealed that, during Manchester City’s legal challenge to the Premier League’s Associated Party Transaction rules, elements of the process were found to be unlawful and that changes to the rules were necessary. There is a feeling among some that now would be the time to strike with new sponsorship agreements.
However, Confidential understands that Newcastle are keeping a watching brief and are waiting to see how the new rules and their amendments look. It is also stressed that at no point have Newcastle and their Saudi owners wanted to manufacture deals way above market value in order to get around PSR.
So while this week’s developments will no doubt be welcomed by Newcastle and make the mechanics of such deals easier to navigate in the future, there is no suggestion of great sums of money suddenly being pumped into the club.
Bruno dropped
This column noted last month how Bruno Guimaraes had become a target for fan and media criticism in Brazil after his performances for the national team.
At the time, he wasn’t playing particularly well for Newcastle and that struggle for form had clearly extended to the Selecao.
So it was curious to see that Guimaraes, whose club performances have been excellent in the past fortnight, was dropped for Brazil’s World Cup qualifier in Chile on Thursday night.
His dad, Dick, spoke out, when he posted: ‘Bruno, every opportunity is a chance to show your worth, whether on the bench or on the field. Stay focused and prepared, because your time always comes. I trust in you!’
Dick is a popular guy on Tyneside, and I’m sure readers of this column would echo his sentiments.
We should not expect Newcastle to announce a vastly-inflated deal with a Saudi company in light of this week’s revelations with Manchester City
Bruno Guimaraes was dropped for Brazil’s World Cup qualifier in Chile on Thursday night.
Toon Teaser
It’s Toon Teaser time. Last week’s puzzler was… can you name the FOURTEEN players to have appeared for Newcastle and Everton since 1992/93?
The answers were; Christian Atsu, Peter Beardsley, Sylvain Distin, Duncan Ferguson, David Ginola, Anthony Gordon, Dan Gosling, Marc Hottiger, Alessandro Pistone, Salomon Rondon, Louis Saha, Gary Speed, Andros Townsend, Steve Watson.
This week’s puzzler is, can you name the SEVENTEEN players to have played for Newcastle and Bolton since 1992. Why Bolton? Why not, it’s international week!
