Newcastle United have been rocked by a major blow ahead of this weekend’s Premier League action, with Jacob Murphy struggling with a hamstring problem.
The 29-year-old missed Newcastle’s 2-0 victory against Chelsea in the fourth round of the EFL Cup at St. James’ Park, and manager Eddie Howe has confirmed (via Chronicle Live) that he’s battling a hamstring issue.
Howe doesn’t believe his injury is anything serious but didn’t offer a specific timeframe for the 29-year-old’s absence.
Newcastle got their vengeance on Chelsea after falling to a 2-1 defeat against the Blues at Stamford Bridge – their third of the season.
Goals from Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer on either side of a 32nd-minute strike from Alexander Isak were enough to sink the Magpies, extending their awful league record at the Bridge to just one win from 31 games.
However, Enzo Maresca’s heavily rotated troops couldn’t replicate that success in Wednesday’s League Cup tie as Howe’s men rode the vibrant St. James’ Park atmosphere to an emphatic 2-0 win.
Murphy was handed a 22-minute cameo at the Bridge but didn’t make the squad for the rematch in Tyneside.
While his teammates rose to the occasion, Howe will hope to have Murphy back in time for this weekend’s huge game against Arsenal.
The former England youth international has been a key player for Newcastle this season, starting in six of his nine Premier League appearances.
Newcastle’s EFL Cup win against Chelsea will be a massive confidence boost for Howe’s troops as they prepare to host last season’s runners-up.
Since claiming a 2-1 scalp against relegation-threatened Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux Stadium, Newcastle have gone five games without a Premier League win (D2, L3), including back-to-back defeats against Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea.
That awful run could hit six games against Arsenal, but Howe’s side will take solace from the fact that their most recent win against the Gunners came on home turf.
