NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 14: Newcastle United Head Coach Eddie Howe gestures during the Newcastle United Training Session at the Newcastle United Training Centre on February 14, 2024 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
Eddie Howe has admitted that Newcastle United have a ‘very delicate balance’ to strike to avoid ‘damaging’ their senior internationals.
Bruno Guimaraes, Anthony Gordon, Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schar, Miguel Almiron and Martin Dubravka are currently having some time off after draining seasons for both club and country. Bruno, for instance, played a whopping 64 games for Newcastle and Brazil while Gordon’s campaign only finished on July 14 – a year after the forward reported back early for pre-season training following England’s triumph at the under-21 Euros.
Newcastle lost more days to injury than any other side in the Premier League last season so the Magpies will want to ensure that the players have a proper pre-season to be robust enough to cope with what is to come, particularly with the season opener against Southampton taking place in just three-and-a-half weeks’ time. However, by the same token, Howe knows that his internationals need a break mentally as much as physically.
“They’ll be back at certain times,” Howe told reporters. “I do feel it is important for players like Bruno, Anthony and Kieran that they do get some time away.
