A late relief has been handed to Newcastle United over defender Jamaal Lascelles…
What’s the latest?
Injury analyst Ben Dinnery has relayed the latest team news from Eddie Howe’s pre-match press conference, with it being revealed that the centre-back is now available to face West Ham this afternoon.
He missed out on the 1-0 win over Aston Villa last weekend through illness and is now back in contention to make the starting XI against the Hammers.
Delight
This update will delight Howe, as Lascelles’ availability is a major boost for multiple reasons.
Firstly, the manager will be buzzing to have his captain back in the fold. The 28-year-old’s leadership skills could provide a big lift in the dressing room, even if he is not selected in the XI. He is the club captain for a reason and having his voice in the warm-up, before the match and at half-time could be vital for Howe as he potentially looks to give his team a boost if the performance is not up to standards.
Secondly, the head coach will be pleased to see him available after his excellent performance against Everton. He was desperately unlucky to concede an own goal and barely set a foot wrong for the rest of the match. As per SofaScore, he won nine of his 11 aerial battles and made five clearances, one block and an impressive five interceptions throughout the match.
This shows that he dominated the opposition physically whilst also reading the game brilliantly to cut out Everton attacks. It was a solid defensive display and one which Howe could be keen for the ex-Forest defender to build upon against West Ham and in upcoming matches in Newcastle’s bid to avoid relegation to the Championship at the end of the campaign.
Finally, the 28-year-old’s return offers the flexibility to change the formation to a back three. With Kieran Trippier and Javier Manquillo both suffering knocks against Villa, the Magpies could look to deploy a wing-back system in order to compensate for the loss of their two first-choice right-backs.
Lascelles could come in at centre-back alongside Dan Burn and Fabian Schar, which would then offer the protection required to play Jacob Murphy or Ryan Fraser at wing-back. The attack-minded wingers could be exposed defensively in a back four, but their skipper’s return could allow Howe to make the change in formation to fit them in.
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