A Newcastle United player has responded to an Instagram post claiming he would miss the Carabao Cup final.
Newcastle is set to face Liverpool at Wembley on Sunday, March 16, but could be without several key players due to suspensions and injuries.
Winger Anthony Gordon will be sidelined after receiving a red card in Newcastle’s 2-1 FA Cup defeat to Brighton on March 2. Meanwhile, fullback Lewis Hall has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to a foot injury sustained against Liverpool last month, meaning he will also miss the final.
One of Eddie Howe’s biggest concerns is the fitness of star striker Alexander Isak, who has scored 22 goals and provided five assists in 31 appearances this season. Isak, 25, limped off during the loss to Brighton, though Howe downplayed the severity of the issue, explaining:
“He had some tightness, but no injury. The longer he stayed on, the greater the risk, so we took him off as a precaution.”
In addition, defender Sven Botman has been out for over a month, last featuring in the Carabao Cup semi-final win over Arsenal on February 5. Howe acknowledged Botman’s importance, stating:
“We’re desperate to get him back—he’s such a big player. But we can’t take a risk unless he’s 100% fit.”
Several reports have since suggested Botman will miss the final. However, when an Instagram account (@geordie_josh) claimed his “season could be over” and he was “guaranteed” to miss the match, the Dutch defender shut down the speculation with a blunt three-word reply: “Don’t sell bulls**.”*
Before the final, Newcastle will face West Ham in the Premier League at the London Stadium on Monday, March 10.