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- New Joelinton blow adds to treatment-room headaches for head coach Eddie Howe
NEWCASTLE: Eddie Howe admits Newcastle United are in a 鈥渄ifficult moment鈥� after three key players were seemingly ruled out of next week鈥檚 Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain.
The Magpies recorded yet another win, this time over newly promoted Burnley at St. James鈥� Park thanks to goals from Miguel Almiron and Alexander Isak. However, the shine was taken off the victory somewhat, as Joelinton鈥檚 return from a knee injury lasted just two minutes.
Head coach Howe confirmed after the game that the Brazilian had suffered a hamstring injury and will almost certainly be out until after the international break. That news comes fresh off the back of injuries suffered by Sven Botman and Callum Wilson, both of whom missed the victory over the Clarets.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a difficult moment for us injury wise. It鈥檚 that kind of season for us, with the physical demands we鈥檙e going to face," said Howe, whose side take on PSG under the St. James鈥� Park floodlights on Wednesday.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 want any injury, and any injury really hurts us, but it is what it is and we have to deal with it. We have to be resilient and deal with the challenges that will come. We just hope we can get those players back really quickly.鈥�
While Wilson has an outside chance of playing against the Qatar-owned French giants, the prognosis on Botman is less positive.
鈥淲e鈥檝e always believed we鈥檝e got some really good players here. The problem for us, with the amount of games we have, is if we get injuries in one area,鈥� Howe added.
鈥淯nfortunately, at the moment, it鈥檚 all attackers, plus Sven, that are injured, which is a blow. It鈥檚 obviously going to stretch us, but hopefully with the international break coming, it will be a good time, fingers crossed, to get the majority of them back if we can, and then our squad will look really strong.
鈥淭he players that have come in, it鈥檚 great experience for them. I think they have done well, and that will lift us long term. It鈥檚 a great thing for us to see.
鈥淐allum鈥檚 got a very minor hamstring problem. We hope he will be back soon. We hope we will see him before the international break, but there鈥檚 no guarantee. Sven has a hamstring problem, and I don鈥檛 think we鈥檒l see him before the international break. Hopefully, we鈥檒l see him very quickly afterwards.鈥�
On Joelinton, Howe refused to close the door on his midfielder making a miraculous recovery, although given the nature of what the club fear with the injury, it seems unlikely.
He said: 鈥淚t looks like a hamstring. That would be a huge blow if he lose him (Joelinton), but we鈥檒l wait and see.鈥�
While the story of the day may well be the Magpies鈥� mounting injury concerns, the overriding picture at Newcastle is a positive one.
Emerging from their sticky spell, which included defeats to Manchester City, Liverpool, and Brighton, Howe鈥檚 men have now gone on a five-game unbeaten run, not conceding a goal in that time.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no such thing as a regulation win. It was a tough game,鈥� said Howe.
鈥淲e anticipated a tough game; I think Burnley are a really interesting team. I think Vincent (Kompany) has done a great job. We knew we had to be really good because they play a very open style, but it鈥檚 a dangerous style if you鈥檙e not perfect on your press or with whatever your game plan is.
鈥淵ou have to deliver your game plan well, and I thought we did, probably after the first 10 minutes when we were a little bit slow out of the blocks. I thought we recovered really well, and I thought we deserved to win.鈥�