Newcastle United is facing a potential setback with the fitness of key player, Anthony Gordon. The 23-year-old footballer will undergo a scan on Monday to assess the severity of his groin issue, which could impact his availability for upcoming games against Chelsea and Arsenal.
Gordon was part of the Newcastle squad that travelled to Stamford Bridge for Sunday’s match against Chelsea. However, he was not included in the matchday squad due to his injury. This marked the first time this campaign that Newcastle have been without their England international.
The absence of Gordon was felt as Newcastle succumbed to a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge. Nicolas Jackson handed Chelsea an early lead in the 18th minute before Alexander Isak levelled for Newcastle. A mistake by Isak led to Cole Palmer scoring immediately after halftime, securing victory for Chelsea.
Uncertainty over upcoming games
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe confirmed that further assessment will be made on Gordon ahead of Wednesday night's Carabao Cup match against Chelsea and Saturday’s league match at home against Arsenal. This places doubt over whether he will be able to participate in these crucial matches.
Newcastle manager, Eddie Howe, said:
“He felt his groin yesterday in training, We hope it’s not serious but he’ll go for a scan probably tomorrow.”
Howe's team has been struggling recently with their winless run in the Premier League stretching to five matches after their latest defeat by Chelsea. They currently sit 12th in the Premier League table after nine games played.
Eddie Howe added:
“I’d say the majority I liked. I thought it was a strong performance. Coming here, you know it’s going to be a very difficult game, especially when you concede relatively early in the match, a big moment for us in terms of our response, which I thought was really strong. We scored a great goal ourselves. We weren’t perfect in our performance, we lost the game but I thought it was another improvement and I feel the team is moving in the right direction, albeit we’re making a couple of mistakes that cost us today.”
Impact on team performance
The loss of one key player can significantly affect team dynamics and performance levels, especially when facing strong opponents like Chelsea and Arsenal. As such, fans are eagerly awaiting updates regarding Gordon’s condition and availability for these upcoming fixtures.
The coming days will be crucial for Newcastle United as they await the results of Gordon's scan and prepare for their upcoming fixtures. The team will need to strategize effectively in case of his continued absence, ensuring they can still put up a strong fight against their opponents.
