Eddie Howe gives fitness update on five Newcastle stars ahead of Sunderland derby | OneFootball

Eddie Howe says he does not think that Sven Botman, Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier, Emile Krafth or William Osula will be back for the Sunderland clash this weekend.

All five of the players did not travel to Leverkusen for Newcastle’s 2-2 draw with the German side in the Champions League.

Botman and Pope both missed the last four matches, the former with a back injury and the latter with a groin problem. Trippier and Krafth have missed the last six because of a thigh injury and a knee injury, respectively. Osula has been out for the longest time with an ankle problem that has kept him sidelined for eight matches so far.

Eddie Howe was asked if any of them would be back for the match against Sunderland: “I don’t think so,” he answered. “I mean, there is a slight chance but I don’t think so. We’ve got a few days to see. 

“I haven’t been in contact with those guys for a few days, having travelled out here, so, yeah, I think that’s where we are.”

The last time Newcastle and Sunderland played each other in the Premier League was in 2016 at St James’ Park; the match ended in a 1-1 draw. Howe explained the importance of the fixture to his Newcastle squad.

“I had to make the importance of this game clear to all of the players,” he said. “There will be some new players that maybe don’t understand it as well as others, so we’ll use whatever methods we can in the next few days to make sure that everyone enters the pitch fully aware of the importance.”

“I think these games always are difficult because there’s a lot of emotion, there’s a lot of challenges for the players to overcome to make sure we enter the pitch in the right frame of mind, and where we absolutely need to be, which is focused on how we play and what we need to do.

“The arousal levels are absolutely key, because you can be too high, you can be too low. I don’t think there’ll be many too low in preparation for this game, but finding that place where the players play at their best is my challenge. 

“Of course, you don’t want the players to overthink things, but it’s a very important game and we’ve got to focus on our performance, so all these things will be important.”

The Newcastle boss also explained how much winning the match would mean to him personally.

“I think it’s always about the team,” Howe explained. “But of course, you’re well aware of your individual responsibilities. It means everything to me personally. I want to do the club, the city and our people proud. 

“I want them to be proud of the team, I want them to be proud of the players. That’s my challenge over the next few days.”