Newcastle United travel to face Burnley at Turf Moor this afternoon, looking to build on the 5-1 hammering of Sheffield United at St James' Park last weekend.
Goals from Alexander Isak, Callum Wilson, Bruno Guimaraes and an own goal from Ben Osborn secured the win for Eddie Howe's side, keeping the Magpies' slim hopes for European football next season alive.
The club have the opportunity to make it back-to-back wins against another relegation-threatened side when they face Vincent Kompany's side, who have a slim chance of staying up this season.
However, if Howe's side are to secure all three points, they will have to do it without experienced centre-back Fabian Schar, who limped off with a hamstring issue during last weekend's victory against the Blades, with the Magpies boss confirming it's unlikely he will feature again this season.
The Swiss international's setback sees him join Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles on the sidelines, with Howe potentially having a dilemma on who should replace the 32-year-old for the trip to Lancashire.
That being said, we take a look at three potential players who could partner Dan Burn this afternoon…
1 1. The Obvious Choice Emil Krafth
Swedish defender Emil Krafth has enjoyed somewhat of a resurgence under Howe in the first-team due to the club's injury problems, featuring 13 times in the Premier League this season.
His appearance tally has drastically increased from last campaign, where the defender only managed one singular league appearance – coming on as a last-minute substitute in the 3-3 draw with Manchester City.
However, like Lascelles and Botman, he suffered an ACL tear that would see him miss the vast majority of the season, before catapulting himself back into contention in recent months.
Before last weekend, the 29-year-old was on a run of four consecutive Premier League starts, but Schar's hamstring issue saw the right-back feature in a slightly unnatural central role.
However, he's been a dependable figure in among the chaos at St James' Park, with Howe likely to rely on his experience once more this weekend.
2 The Younger Alternative Alex Murphy
After bringing him off the bench last weekend, Magpies boss Howe could hand youngster Alex Murphy a first Premier League start given the club's injury woes.
The 19-year-old joined the club from Irish side Galway United during the summer of 2022, with Murphy joining Newcastle's academy side upon his arrival.
Murphy, who can play left-back and centre-back, has made seven appearances for Newcastle's U21 side in the Premier League 2 this season, whilst also being included in the first-team squad for the warm-weather training camp in Saudi Arabia.
However, the Magpies boss handed him a rare opportunity against Wilder's side at St James' Park, but didn't get the opportunity to flourish in his few minutes off the bench.
The "impressive" defender, as branded by Newcastle Chronicle writer Mark Carruthers, deserves the opportunity between now and the end of the campaign to impress the fans – potentially allowing him to make more first-team appearances in 2024/25.
3 The Wildcard Option Cathal Heffernan
Although Cathal Heffernan is yet to make his senior debut on Tyneside, the promising youngster has played an important role in the club's youth squad since joining.
After arriving from Italian side AC Milan last summer, the 19-year-old centre-back has made 23 appearances for various youth levels, scoring on three occasions, including against the Italian side in the UEFA Youth League.
It would certainly be a shock to see the Irish defender be handed his first opportunity in the Magpies' first-team this weekend, but given the current injury situation at the club, it could be the perfect opportunity for Heffernan to prove his talents.
Newcastle have given multiple chances this season to youngsters Lewis Miley and Elliot Anderson, who have made giant steps and cemented their places as regular players within Howe's squad.
Howe should look to repeat his decision with Heffernan, with the club and the youngster potentially reaping the rewards of putting their faith in the youngsters, with the Irishman having the potential to be the next academy breakthrough into Howe's side.
Newcastle hit the jackpot on warrior whose value has skyrocketed 328%
He’s enjoyed a successful stint in the first-team under Eddie Howe.
ByEthan LambMay 3, 2024