Midfield duo 'have a chance' of being fit for Palace clash, says Howe | OneFootball

The Magpies head to Selhurst Park this weekend (kick-off 3pm GMT) looking for a swift response following Monday night's 2-0 defeat to West Ham United at St. James' Park.

Guimarães and Willock were both withdrawn during that loss to the Hammers, but Howe is hopeful that they will both be able to make the journey to the capital as his side look to lift themselves from tenth place in the table with a positive result at the home of the Eagles.

Howe spoke about that and much more during his weekly media briefing at United's media centre on Friday morning. Here are some of the key points that were up for discussion:

On Guimarães' and Willock's fitness...

"They have a chance to play. They're not serious injuries so we'll make a decision today."

On some players being just one yellow card away from suspension...

"It's a difficult one to go into too much detail on that with the players, because they need to be free to play their game. Joelinton's biggest strength is his ability to win the ball and be physical. Part of the reason I withdrew him on Monday is to make sure I had him for the next game because he's such a pivotal player for us.

"The likelihood is that these players will get booked before the cut-off point, but that's why we have the squad."

On the performance against West Ham...

"For the first 60 minutes, I thought the performance was pretty good.

"There was a lot of reflection, a lot of analysis and a lot of work done on the training ground since."

On his side's away form...

"We have to be positive in every respect. The league is still so tight and consecutive wins can elevate you.

"Our last away performance was very strong, and I see no reason we can't deliver that again."