Newcastle Utd return to Premier League action on Saturday lunchtime when they face West Ham Utd in the tv enforced 12.30pm kick off fixture.
 
The International break has been one of mixed feelings on Tyneside with Lewis Miley joining the injured list after returning early from the England U20 group with a reported back problem.  
 
Coupled with the news that Sven Botman has undergone an operation to repair his torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament and reports that Bruno Guimarães was withdrawn at half time from Brazil’s midweek fixture with a thigh strain, Eddie Howe must be wondering when his luck will change.
 
Guimarães is expected to start on Saturday but Sandro Tonali, Nick Pope, Callum Wilson, Joelinton and Sven Botman are all out. 
 
On the positive side Howe is hopeful that he will have Harvey Barnes, Kieran Trippier and Tino Livramento back in his squad ahead of three games in eight days with Everton coming to St James’ Park on Tuesday, before Howe takes his team to Craven Cottage to face Fulham next Saturday.
 
 
At his press conference on Friday morning Howe laid out the importance he places on his squad seeing out the season in style, with European places up for grabs for a top eight finish this season, which makes the next three fixtures doubly important as the chase for points continues.
 
“With these 10 games, it is an opportunity for us to finish the season strong. We are looking for consistency in results. We are focused on building and finding some positive momentum”.
 
Howe also attempted to clear up the issue surrounding Botman’s injury and the fact that the player initially suffered the injury back in September but chose not to rectify the problem through surgery but instead chose to undertake a period of non-surgical rehab saying “We sought specialist opinion on that injury and there were conflicting reports coming back on what he should do next. Ultimately, our medical team advised him to have surgery. He wanted to carry on playing and we're always trying to guide the players, but ultimately, it's their bodies and they have to make the final decision. Unfortunately, he succumbed to the injury eventually”.
 
Whether Botman “succumbed to the injury eventually” or was forced to face up to the inevitable is now last weeks news. What is a fact is that the player is facing a nine-to-twelve-month layoff; something that neither player nor club can afford.
 
Howe also addressed the situation surrounding Sandro Tonali following the news that the FA have now charged the player with a further set of alleged betting breaches.
 
“The news that there was an FA charge, that illness didn't stop when he moved to England. That illness was there, and people should look it that way - not let's throw the book at him and punish him even further because I don't think that gets to the root of the problem. We need to protect all our players. This is something that's open to everybody and becoming a bigger problem in society. This isn't just a problem for Sandro”.
 
West Ham meanwhile will be without the suspended Edson Alverez while Maxwel Cornet, Mohammed Kudus, Nayef Aguerd and Lucas Paqueta are all rated as doubtful.
 
The match Referee is Rob Jones, and his Assistants are Ian Hussin and Wade Smith. The Fourth official is Darren Bond while the VAR Hut is manned by David Coote and his Assistant VAR official Eddie Smart.
 

Newcastle United returned to winning ways at a rain-soaked St James’ Park on Saturday afternoon to leave a well drilled Wolverhampton Wanderers well and truly out in the cold as the Magpies ran out 3:0 winners.
 
First half goals from Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon looked to be it, until substitute Tino Livramento, on for the injured Kieran Trippier scoring his first goal for the club when he latched on to a sublime 40-yard pass from Fabien Schar before beating two defenders and somehow slotting the ball past a despairing Dan Bentley in the Wolves goal.
 
Three points, a first home league win in five attempts and a clean sheet – their first in two and a half months – will have delighted Eddie Howe as much as it did the home supporters, who once again packed out the ground: giving their team rousing support in difficult conditions.
 
But all could have been different but for a fine display by Martin Dubravka who followed on from his penalty saving display in mid-week by keeping out efforts by first Nathan Fraser and then Pablo Sarabia before holding on to Jeanricner Bellegarde's goal bound header moments later.
 
The man of the match award went to Anthony Gordon, but it could have easily gone to his teammate Bruno Guimarães who once again defied the odds on picking up a booking to put in one of his trademark performances as the orchestrator in chief in the Magpies midfield.
 
Isak’s goal on 14 minutes came from a fine run from Gordon after Schar had broken up a Wolves attack and immediately send Gordon free on the left wing. With Guimarães racing forward in support Gordon the ball to the Brazilian whose shot deflected into the path of Isak who nodded into an empty net from 5 yards.
 
And it was 2:0 on 33 minutes when Murphy’s fine cross from the right left the Wolves defenders floundering as keeper Jose Sa and Max Kilman failed to deal with both the ball and the conditions, leaving Gordon the simple task of slotting the ball home for his 9th goal of the season. Sa was injured as he scrambled to intercept the ball and was replaced at half time by Bentley.
 
Defeat ended a run of six wins from nine league games for Gary O’Neill’s team while for Eddie Howe his team looked more like the side that secured Champions League football for the first time in 20 years last term
 

Newcastle Utd returns to league action on Saturday with the visit of Wolverhampton Wanderers to St James’ Park having overcome what proved to be a difficult FA Cup fifth round tie at Blackburn Rovers which they scraped through on penalties, after the sides saw out a 1:1 draw on Tuesday evening.
 
While Blackburn gave a good account of themselves over the 120 minutes of open play, Howe’s magpies struggled against their lower league opponents and will need to show a lot more resolve against a Wolves team that has won six of their last nine premier league games and are unbeaten on their travels in their last six away games.
 
Newcastle meanwhile are looking for their first home win since before Christmas having drawn two and lost two at their once impregnable home. 
 
Both clubs are hoping to reach their own personal goalscoring landmarks tomorrow with Newcastle one goal away from reaching 1500 premier league goals while Wolves sit on 399.
 
Sven Botman was rested for the midweek cup tie and should be back in contention while Joe Willock is pushing for a starting place. Elliott Anderson is another long-term absentee hoping to stake a place but may have to settle for a place on the bench following his cameo last few minutes in midweek that saw him brought on for Lewis Miley in a tactical switch as the game looked to be heading for the inevitable penalty shoot-out.
 
Having Anderson back is a huge plus for Howe as it gives him options that he previously has lacked when selecting his starting 11 after what has been a frustrating and difficult layoff for the player. 
 
And speaking at his press conference Howe had this to say about Anderson’s injury and rehab. “It wasn't quick from our side or from Elliot's. It's been hugely frustrating for him that he hasn't been able to kick on sooner and return to training sooner. It's hugely frustrating when you can't run. He had to be very careful, and we had to be careful with him.
The last stage of his injury has been quick, and we were very keen to get him on with penalties in mind. We see him every day practicing penalties and he executes them very well. Still, he had to come in cold and have the composure to execute and he did”.
 
“He is technically fit but maybe not in the condition we need him to be to play regularly. We have to nurse him back and look after him.
He's been a huge miss for us because of his versatility. When you miss him and Joelinton at the same time, a lot of the versatility in the squad goes”.
 
However, the game has come too early for Matt Targett, who continues his rehab with Howe emphasizing the need for Targett to concentrate on his fitness before he comes into contention. “Matty might need a bit more time to get back, given his hamstring injury, but he is training now. To get back to their absolute best, I think you need that period of training behind you”.
 
All signs are that Alexander Isak has come through his last two outings without any problems; all be it he only managed 60 minutes in each, and Howe will be hoping to name his only striker in his starting eleven.
 
But whatever the line-up, the message from Howe is clear: “We can’t drop too many points, whether it is home or away. We know we are running out of chances; we have to start Saturday. There is no easy game in the Premier League. I think we have great character within the squad and confidence can be difficult to find but we are hopeful of getting back to our best levels. We have to start winning consistently”. Well. Sort of clear.
I bet many would have loved a sports teacher like Eddie!
 
Match Referee is Tim Robinson. Assistants: Eddie Smart and James Mainwaring while Fourth official is Darren Bond. VAR is being overseen by David Coote. And his Assistant Dan Robathan.