How Will Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United Look Without Isak, Almirón, Hall, and Willock?
Newcastle United’s promising start to the 2024-25 Premier League season has been tempered by a series of injuries to key players, leaving manager Eddie Howe with a major challenge as he prepares his team for the upcoming fixtures. The absences of Alexander Isak, Miguel Almirón, Lewis Hall, and Joe Willock will undoubtedly impact the team’s balance, creativity, and attacking threat, forcing Howe to rethink his tactical setup and make key adjustments to his squad.
As the Magpies navigate a crucial stretch of the season, it will be fascinating to see how Eddie Howe adapts in the absence of these influential players, especially given the importance of each in the club’s aggressive style of play. In this article, we’ll examine what each of these absences means for Newcastle United and how Howe could adjust his lineup and tactics to cope with the voids left by these key players.
**The Absentees: Who’s Missing and What They Bring to the Team**
**1. Alexander Isak (Striker)**
Isak’s injury is perhaps the most significant blow for Newcastle, given the Swedish forward’s growing importance to the team’s attack. Isak has been a dynamic presence in the forward line, bringing pace, technical skill, and the ability to score goals. His combination play with the likes of Bruno Guimarães, Anthony Gordon, and Almirón had begun to show real promise this season, and he was quickly becoming one of the team’s key attacking threats.
Without Isak, Howe may be forced to lean more heavily on Callum Wilson to lead the line. Wilson, a proven Premier League goal-scorer, has the experience and finishing ability to lead the attack, but he lacks the same technical nuances and fluidity that Isak brings to the table. Howe may also need to tweak his system, as Isak’s movement and versatility allowed for a fluid attacking setup that included fast transitions and varied attacking shapes.
**2. Miguel Almirón (Winger)**
Almirón has been a key figure for Newcastle in recent seasons, providing energy, work rate, and a direct attacking threat down the right-wing. His pace and dribbling ability have made him a constant outlet in transition, and he has become known for his powerful long-range shots and ability to score from the flanks. Almirón’s absence removes one of Newcastle’s most dangerous wide players, leaving a gap in both creativity and goal-scoring potential.
In Almirón’s absence, Howe could turn to the likes of Jacob Murphy or new signing Harvey Barnes to fill the void. Murphy has been a reliable squad player but lacks Almirón’s explosiveness and unpredictability. Barnes, who joined from Leicester in the summer, is more than capable of stepping into the role, but he will need to quickly build chemistry with his teammates to replicate the same level of impact that Almirón has had.
**3. Lewis Hall (Left-Back/Left-Wing-Back)**
On loan from Chelsea, Lewis Hall had been impressing with his performances in the left-back/wing-back role. The young Englishman brought dynamism to the left flank, offering both defensive solidity and attacking thrust. His versatility meant that he could operate as either a traditional full-back or an advanced wing-back, allowing Howe to adopt more flexible formations depending on the opponent.
With Hall sidelined, Howe may have to look to Dan Burn or perhaps even Matt Targett to fill the gap at left-back. Burn has performed admirably as a left-center-back in a back three, but playing him as a traditional full-back would force Newcastle to sacrifice some of the width and attacking potential Hall provided. Targett, meanwhile, offers more attacking threat from the left but is not as adaptable as Hall. Howe’s system could be impacted by this change, as the left-hand side becomes less of an outlet for overlapping runs and crosses into the box.
**4. Joe Willock (Midfielder)**
Joe Willock’s energy and box-to-box ability in midfield have been a key feature of Newcastle’s game under Howe. The 24-year-old is known for his runs into the box, work rate, and his ability to contribute both defensively and offensively. Willock has formed a good understanding with Bruno Guimarães and Sean Longstaff, adding an extra dimension to Newcastle’s midfield.
His absence could lead to an adjustment in how Newcastle approaches games in the middle of the park. Howe could opt for a more defensive approach, calling upon players like Sandro Tonali or Longstaff to provide balance, but the creative dynamism that Willock offers will be sorely missed. Howe might also shift to a more attacking midfield trio, potentially bringing in the likes of Anthony Gordon or pushing Bruno Guimarães into a more advanced role to make up for Willock’s contributions going forward.
**How Eddie Howe Can Adapt: Tactical Adjustments**
Despite these key absences, Eddie Howe has shown throughout his tenure that he’s a manager who is capable of adjusting his tactics and ensuring that his team remains competitive, even without all his first-choice players. Here are some of the possible tactical shifts Howe could make in light of the injuries to Isak, Almirón, Hall, and Willock:
**1. A More Centralized Attack**
Without Isak and Almirón, Howe may look to centralize his attack and rely more on the creativity of Bruno Guimarães and the movement of Callum Wilson. With Wilson as the primary striker, Howe could switch to a more compact attacking shape, perhaps with Gordon and Barnes playing off the striker in a more central role. This setup would allow for fluid rotations between the forward players, helping to break down opposition defenses while compensating for the loss of Almirón’
s width on the right.
**2. A Shift in Formation**
If Hall’s injury further disrupts the left flank, Howe might shift to a more traditional back four, allowing for better defensive stability without sacrificing too much attacking intent. In this case, Burn and Targett could operate as the full-backs, with Guimarães and Longstaff providing the balance in midfield. Alternatively, Howe could opt for a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Gordon or Murphy on the wings, providing width in a more direct approach.
**3. Increased Responsibility for Bruno Guimarães**
Guimarães has been the heartbeat of Newcastle’s midfield and will likely be asked to shoulder even more responsibility in the absence of Willock. With more of the creative burden on him, we could see Guimarães playing a more advanced role, dictating play from midfield and looking to make late runs into the box, something Willock frequently did. His connection with Wilson will be crucial, as the two will need to forge a stronger link to ensure that Newcastle’s attack doesn’t lose its cutting edge.
**4. Relying on Squad Depth**
Newcastle’s squad depth has been one of the club’s strengths in recent seasons, and while the absences are significant, Howe will have options at his disposal to mitigate the impact. The likes of Tonali, Barnes, and Murphy can all step up and provide crucial contributions, but it will be vital for Howe to find the right combinations to maintain the high intensity and pressing game that has been a hallmark of Newcastle’s success under his leadership.
**What This Means for Newcastle’s Season**
Although Newcastle faces a tough period without some of their key players, there is confidence that Eddie Howe can adapt and keep the team competitive. Howe’s tactical flexibility, combined with the resilience of his squad, will be critical in ensuring that Newcastle stays in the hunt for European places. The upcoming weeks will be an important test of the team’s depth and Howe’s ability to manage a squad under pressure.
As long as the team continues to stay defensively solid, maintain their pressing game, and get goals from players like Callum Wilson and Anthony Gordon, Newcastle United should remain a force to be reckoned with, even without their key absentees. But the next few weeks could be a defining stretch for the Magpies’ season, as they navigate their way through these challenging injuries.
