Eddie Howe will be in the dug-out to take charge of his first Newcastle game - just a week after testing positive for COVID.
Government Test and Trace rules state that coronavirus victims must isolate for ten days after their positive test, or when symptoms began.
Howe’s No2 Jason Tindall said today that the head coach was “surprised” to test positive during a routing pre-game test last Friday “because he had no symptoms.”
Newcastle then declared their new boss clear to come back to work after he returned a negative test on Friday morning.
Howe’s infection was caught by a routine pre-match test on November 19, and he released a statement that day saying: “It is incredibly important that I follow the guidelines and self-isolate. I’d like to reassure everyone that I feel fine.”
Newcastle’s surprise announcement saying Howe would be at Arsenal, means the club are ruling that his symptoms must have started around Tuesday November 16 or 17th.
But Tindall during the pre-match press conference at 9.30am: “(Eddie) tested positive and he was very surprised because he had no symptoms.”
Howe was involved in training and talking to the Toon squad all last week until Friday afternoon.
Will Eddie Howe mark his first Newcastle game on the touchline with a win? Comment here
Newcastle refused to divulge any medically confidential information or answer questions about if and why Howe took training with symptoms, and whether players and staff were put at risk.
The NHS website states: “If you test positive, your self-isolation period includes the day your symptoms started (or the day you had the test, if you do not have symptoms) and the next 10 full days.”
Newcastle players will be relieved Howe can take charge after a week with his backroom staff relaying information.
Assistant boss Jason Tindall revealed Howe’s COVID isolation hell in a Tyneside
Tindall said: “There is a change in the way he has been feeling over the week.
“From how Eddie was Sunday, Monday, Tuesday compared to how he is now feeling, the latter part of the week there is a big difference.
“He was up and down. One minute ok, then knocked for six, and you need your bed and need to sleep.
“The earlier part of the week he was sleeping a lot and resting. Sickness and bad headaches? He didn’t have that. It took it out of him.
“Thankfully we have been ok. No more positive cases. You do worry a little bit. We have tested every day this week as players and staff and everyone has come through fine.
“You want the leader, you want your manager here with you. We have missed him.
“It is never easy. It is more difficult when you have the virus, but doing it in a hotel room is more difficult. He sees training back every day and we video it from multiple angles. We review it back, analyse the detail, and then feedback.”
