Eddie Howe confirms six defensive absentees as Newcastle woes worsen ahead of Burnley clash | OneFootball

Newcastle United are heading into their final trip of 2025 with a plethora of injury woes.

The Magpies are gearing up to take on Burnley at Turf Moor as they look to end 2025 on a high following a slew of disappointing performances.

Newcastle are heading into the must-win contest on the back of one win from their last five games across all competitions (D2, L2).

They have a similar recent record in the Premier League and will be determined to buck the trend on their visit to Lancashire.

However, manager Eddie Howe has been left scratching his head over how to manage his squad, with six defenders ruled out for the trip to Burnley.

The English manager will also have a huge decision to make on goalkeeper Nick Pope.

The 33-year-old goalkeeper returned to the matchday squad for the Boxing Day 1-0 defeat at Manchester United after spending a month out with a groin injury.

But he didn’t feature with Howe confirming that he fell ill before kick-off. Pope has now returned to full first-team training, although reclaiming his starting spot from Aaron Ramsdale could be difficult.

“Nick [Pope] had really limited training time for [the Manchester United] game,” Howe said during his pre-match press conference.

“He declared himself fit and then was subsequently ill right before kick-off and wasn’t feeling great – so it was probably fortunate that he wasn’t playing [on Boxing Day].

“I need to see that Nick’s back to his very best – and Aaron [Ramsdale]’s played well in his absence, so I’ll make a call.”

Howe also revealed the situation surrounding his defensive injury crisis, with Sven Botman, Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, Tino Livramento, Jamaal Lascelles, and Emil Krafth all ruled out.

“We’re not 100 per cent sure,” Howe said when asked if the defenders would return in time to face Burnley.

“We’ve got a whole group of players that are getting closer – obviously not as quick as I would like. I’d like them fit and available as quickly as possible because our backline’s been really stretched.

“The guys that have played, I think, have done really well – especially Lewis Miley playing out of position – but we really would welcome some of those players back. But whether it’s for Burnley, I don’t know.”