Eddie Howe reported no fresh injury concerns ahead of Sunday's League Cup final versus Liverpool at Wembley. The Magpies, who are contesting the League Cup final for the second time in three seasons, are aiming to lift their first major domestic trophy since 1955.
Newcastle was beaten 2-0 by Manchester United in the 2023 final, and goes into Sunday's game with compromised chances due to a host of injuries and unavailability.
Anthony Gordon is suspended after earning a mindless red card in a recent FA Cup game against Brighton, while Sven Botman and Lewis Hall are both out with season-ending knee and foot injuries respectively. All three players would be regular starters in Eddie Howe's first-choice team when available.
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Club captain Jamaal Lascelles has not played this season due to a long-term injury and remains unavailable. “We’ve got the long-term issues,” said Howe. “Lewis Hall is recovering after his operation now, Sven is recovering after his operation and Jamaal is still making progress to come back. Anthony is suspended, but apart from that, we hope to have a full squad.”
On his team selection for the match, he added: “Everyone will find out at the same time when I name the team. When that will be, I’ll leave that to myself. I think the team selection for these types of games will always be difficult because there’ll always be players who will be disappointed. Naturally, everyone wants to play in the bigger games, but I can only pick 11.”
Meanwhile, Liverpool's and Newcastle's accommodation preferences on the eve of the Carabao Cup final have been revealed, as both clubs put the final touches on their preparations for the Wembley showdown.
The Daily Mail reported that Slot and his players will stay at a hotel in a central London location on Saturday night, while Newcastle "will be based out of town".
Newcastle stayed at a hotel right next to Wembley on the eve of the 2023 final but has opted for a change two years on. The report added that Newcastle would travel to the final on a new luxury coach worth around $650,000.
