Charlie Bennett provides a round-up of the talking points from Eddie Howe’s pre-match press conference.
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00:00Hello everybody, I'm here at Newcastle United's media centre where we've been speaking to Eddie Howe in that building there just behind us.
00:06After what's been a bit of a, let's be honest, a turbulent week on Tyneside, you've had the fallout from the FA Cup game, you've had Anthony Gordon's red card,
00:15putting a bit of a dampener on everything ahead of the Cup final until it got even worse and in order to see everything comes in threes,
00:22you had that double injury blow to Sven Botwin, as reported by Newcastle World, and Lewis Hall.
00:28Two players who are set to undergo surgery, Lewis Hall with a foot fracture and Sven Botwin with another knee problem,
00:35the opposite one who had to undergo surgery last season, which kept him out for most of 2024 really, it was an ACL tear,
00:43and it really has sickened the mood around Tyneside a little bit. I mean, right the two years ago, everybody from the fans to the players,
00:50even the reporters really, everybody was sort of, it's been that long since Newcastle got the final,
00:56it was almost an occasion, it was like a big party in London, Newcastle as a club were sort of genuinely just happy to be there.
01:01I'm not really getting that vibe this time around, it's a little bit more pessimistic obviously with the injury news,
01:06I think the lack of signings hasn't helped as well in recent windows, and the fact that they're playing Liverpool,
01:12quite possibly the best team in Europe right now. But I would just, anyhow staying upbeat in his press conference, he said,
01:20look, they've still got good players, they've still got the players who on the day can hurt anybody.
01:26And I would second that, you know, I'd say, try and see the positive side, Newcastle lost two England internationals,
01:34Anthony Gordon and Lewis Hall at injury, Anthony Gordon through suspension, sorry.
01:39But they're going to replace them with two England internationals, Harvey Bond, yes he's got one cap, still an England international,
01:44and Tino Livermanto who's the likely player who's going to slot in there at left back.
01:49So, you know, Newcastle go into that game as clear underdogs, Liverpool, like I said, the best team in Europe right now.
01:55But just have a little bit of positivity, you never know, stranger things have happened in football.
02:00And just on the West Ham game himself, anyhow said there's absolutely no chance of him dropping anybody for Monday night
02:08with the fail at the back of his mind. It may be fatal, fatal, fatal talk around Teyn saying right now,
02:13everybody's got the fail on their mind, but for anyhow, at least what he said to the press that day,
02:17that's going to be put right at the back of his mind. And he said something along the lines of,
02:22players need to play to stay fit and be in form. I think this was aimed a little bit at Alexander Isak.
02:28He was asked directly about Isak, who's obviously had his own little injury niggles in recent weeks,
02:34he was injured, rested, should I say, for the Liverpool game, didn't even make the bench that day.
02:40And there was a little bit of talk on social media, a little bit of speculation about whether Isak was fit.
02:44Anyhow confirmed he is fit and as it stands, he will start the final.
02:49The final, he should start the West Ham game on Monday and coming through that, fingers crossed,
02:54he will be fit for the final. The good news, Newcastle fans, is that the team can't ruin your weekend.
02:59They don't play until Monday. As always, Newcastle will have all the coverage before, during and after that trip to West Ham.
03:05And that's it for me today, everybody. I'll catch you later and have a good weekend.