Football
Newcastle’s Carabao Cup Win Overshadowed By Yet Another Joe Willock Injury
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Get to know Charlie Rhodes betterPublished29 Aug 2024
Joe Willock injury news is something Newcastle fans were hoping to avoid so early in the season – or at all given he missed nearly the entirety of last year’s campaign. However, a thigh problem picked up in midweek looks to have scuppered plans for an injury-free season.
Joe Willock Injury News
Welcoming back Joe Willock to the midfield will have felt like a new signing for Newcastle this season.
Willock, who turns 26 this month, has suffered six separate injuries since making the switch from Arsenal during the 2021/22 season.
The latest setback came during Newcastle’s Carabao Cup shootout win at Nottingham Forest. He scored just 18 seconds into the game to seemingly provide a taster of what’s to come this season from one of the Magpies’ fan favourites.
However, after a promising 15 minute period full of dynamism and forward-drives, Willock crashed to the floor in visible distress; the frustration was clear to see as he was forced off.
The silver lining is it doesn’t appear to be a relapse of the achilles tendon injury that forced him out of 26 games last season.
Feel so sorry for Joe Willock. Such a supremely talented footballer with a skillset that can transform #NUFC performances on the pitch. The last thing he deserves is another serious muscle injury.
— Harry De Cosemo (@harrydecosemo) August 29, 2024
Eddie Howe Says Losing Willock is a “Huge Blow”
Speaking to the Shields Gazette, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said Joe Willock’s latest injury setback is “a huge blow for him and us.”
He continued by saying, “his absence meant we had to reshuffle our midfield which is something we didn’t want to do in that moment at all.
“We just hope it’s not serious. It doesn’t look good, he’s feeling a pain in his thigh so we’ll have to wait and see how serious it is.”
The Latest in a String of Newcastle Injuries
A season plagued by a succession of injuries saw Newcastle slip down the table, which came as a huge disappointment after securing Champions League qualification the year before.
Their fortunes have scarcely improved this term, with Willock joining Callum Wilson, Lewis Miley, Joe White, Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles on the sidelines. Howe will also be without the suspended Fabian Schar against Tottenham on Sunday.