Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe has shared fresh injury updates ahead of their crucial UEFA Champions League round of 16 second-leg clash against Barcelona on Wednesday.
The Magpies head to the iconic Camp Nou looking to pull off a major upset and book their spot in the quarter-final, following a 1-1 draw in last week’s first leg at St James’ Park.
Newcastle have been handed a major boost ahead of the clash, with Sandro Tonali expected to return after recovering from illness.
The midfielder completed the full 90 minutes in the first leg, but missed the weekend’s 1-0 win over Chelsea in the Premier League. He is expected to train ahead of the game, although it remains uncertain whether he will start.
“We’ll have a look at it today. Today’s the first day we’ve seen him. (It’s) an opportunity for him to train, if he feels strong enough. We’ll make a decision tomorrow”, Howe said during Tuesday’s pre-match press conference in quotes revealed by the official Newcastle United website.
However, there are concerns over Joe Willock, who picked up an injury during the win against Chelsea.
The England midfielder assisted Anthony Gordon’s first-half winner before he was forced off in the second half. He has travelled with the squad and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
“Joe Willock has travelled with us. We’ll look at him in training today, and fingers crossed he’ll be fine”, Howe continued.
Meanwhile, youngster Lewis Miley will miss out once again, although he is closing in on a return to action. The 19-year-old has been sidelined since February with a dead leg and has missed their last 12 matches across all competitions.
“Lewi’s not with the squad, unfortunately. He’s trained at home today, so we’re probably looking at the other side of the international break for Lewi now. It’s just taking a little bit longer than we hoped”, the Newcastle boss concluded.
Newcastle will be hoping to make history in Spain as they chase a first-ever Champions League quarter-final appearance, which would see them face either Atletico Madrid or Tottenham Hotspur in the next round.
