There is now so much resting on the long-awaited return of Joe Willock for Newcastle United.
Defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the middle of a torrential downpour was disappointing for Eddie Howe but it was the wider collateral damage of the night that might end up derailing them.
Newcastle run a relatively skinny first team squad – and pride themselves on being a band of brothers, with even fringe players training with unselfishness intensity – but that principle is being stretched to the limit by desperate luck and events that are beyond their control.
To a roll call of injuries that includes forward Harvey Barnes, centre-back Sven Botman and young midfielders Lewis Miley and Elliot Anderson we can now add first choice forward Alexander Isak and Jacob Murphy, who both suffered injuries during the Dortmund defeat that may rule them out for weeks. It never rains on Tyneside, it pours.
The club will also be without £52m signing Sandro Tonali for a prolonged period, adding further to a talent pool Howe cannot dip into.
Callum Wilson – their only fit forward if Isak is missing – is on a specially tailored training programme to ensure his body does not break down but can he really manage four games in the next fortnight?
Newcastle have no other specialist forwards, so Wilson may have to play significant minutes as they face a quickfire quartet of Wolves, Manchester United in the Carabao Cup, Arsenal and then the return clash in Dortmund in the next 12 days.
Thank goodness, then, for Willock’s timely comeback. His late cameo on Wednesday was his first game for nearly five months and his versatility, tactical flexibility and eye for a goal will be a major asset for a team now battling for their Champions League lives in the so-called Group of Death. He looked sprightly on his return.
“I felt really sharp. There’s a lot of eagerness and I want to help the team,” Willock said afterwards. His enthusiasm has also been missed.
It has been a long road back for a player who has suffered two training ground setbacks since a nasty hamstring injury in May. He freely admits there have been tough moments, especially when a troublesome achilles tendon flared up in September.
So good to see you back out there tonight, @Joewillock!
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) October 25, 2023pic.twitter.com/twnEM6Eg1b
The timing of his setback was dreadful. Willock’s form approaching the business end of last season was stellar, prompting Gareth Southgate to run personal checks on him.
His ability to probe in between the lines gives Newcastle something different and is just the sort of skill that would transfer well to international football, where tactical intelligence is a mimimum requirement.
But just as England came calling, his season was over and the hard slog of rehabilitation stretched out in front of him.
Newcastle have put much time and effort into his return, including sending him to Barcelona during the last international break to provide him with specialist care and a morale-boosting change of scenery.
Willock’s personal recovery programme has been stepped up in the last couple of weeks to fast-track his comeback and the hope now is that his body can cope with the fixtures coming thick and fast.
Howe has made regular checks on his mental state, too, which have clearly been appreciated by the player.
“He never went a day without speaking to me, asking where my mental side was and we had a lot of good conversations,” Willock said.
“It means a lot when you’re out for so long. You have this fear that people forget about you but the gaffer always made sure he spoke to me. I have a lot of respect for him for that.”
In Howe’s hour of need, Willock stands well placed to immedatiely repay the favour.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/izuhlMY
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