The Magpies have kept an open mind on Joe Willock but he may be out until September
07:51, 02 Aug 2025Updated 08:51, 02 Aug 2025
Joe Willock of Newcastle United controls the ball under pressure of Park Jin-Seob of Team K League
Newcastle United midfielder Joe Willock will miss the Premier League’s big kick off at Aston Villa – but his injury is not as bad as first feared.
Howe played down the severity of Willock’s unfortunate knock in the 1-0 defeat against the K-League XI on Wednesday night. Willock has remained with the physios here in Seoul but may not be back on the pitch until September.
Head coach Eddie Howe said today in Seoul: “Joe Willock we initially feared that he could have injured part of his Achilles but that wasn’t the case. It looks like he has problems with a muscle in the calf.
“We feel the injury is not as bad as first feared which is good news for Joe. It is going to keep him out for a number of weeks, how many we are not sure, early diagnosis is looking four to six.
“Which is much better than we initially thought.”
It leaves Newcastle light on the ground in terms of midfielders with Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Sandro Tonali and Lewis Miley vying for three spots. Norwegian youth international Travis Hernes is still with the squad and may be held back on loan.
A midfield signing would be perfect for Howe after the exit of Sean Longstaff to Leeds, but it is not his priority with the striker situation bubbling away. He must be braced for a possible sale of Alexander Isak while also pursuing a move for Callum Wilson’s replacement.
A centre-back is also on the shopping list and it remains to be seen whether Howe can do everything he wants in the window. Keeping Isak would be a major boost but Liverpool have unsettled the Sweden international.
Newcastle will round off their tour of the Far East with tomorrow night’s clash against Tottenham Hotspur. Howe is looking forward to the encounter in Seoul and reflected: “It should be a really good game; two Premier League teams, two high-quality teams on show, and we’re hoping to build up performance levels as we go through pre-season. So we’re hoping for a really good performance.”
However, the game will be very much a Spurs fest with thousands of South Korea fans battling for tickets and encamped outside the Tottenham hotel. They’ve come to see Spurs icon Son Heung-min, who confirmed in an emotional press conference today that he will leave the club this summer.
Howe knows the magnitude of the occasion and said: “I think he’s one of the legends of the Premier League. We’ve come up against him many times, as manager of Bournemouth early in his Tottenham career and I thought he was fantastic – his pace, his dribbling ability, his desire to score goals. I thought he was always one of the best players we played against every season.
“The biggest test, I think, for a player’s ability is consistency and longevity, and he’s been able to do that consistently every year. I’ve never spent time with him, but he seemed like an incredible professional and incredible person.
“So it will be a really great moment to share this last game for Tottenham against us and hopefully it’s a memorable occasion.”
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