Here are your Newcastle United evening headlines for Monday, December 14.
Federico Fernandez returns to training
Federico Fernandez has confirmed that he returned to training on Monday after recovering from COVID-19.
The defender was one of several players who missed Newcastle's victory over West Bromwich Albion.
With his hands tied, Steve Bruce was forced to slide midfielder Isaac Hayden into centre-back, so Fernandez, who had not missed a match since October 2019 before the weekend, is a welcome return.
Writing on Instagram, the 31-year-old said: "Nice to be back with the team after recovering from the COVID."
Javier Manquillo, Jamaal Lascelles, Fabian Schar, Martin Dubravka, Paul Dummett, Allan Saint-Maximin, Ryan Fraser and Mark Gillespie also missed Saturday's win. It remains to be seen who, if any, is able to return for Wednesday's contest with Leeds United.
Rob Lee offers advice to Sean Longstaff
Newcastle legend Rob Lee believes that Sean Longstaff must earn a move from the club amid reports that Tottenham Hotspur are interested in the young midfielder.
Longstaff signed with 'super agent' Pini Zahavi earlier this month, with suggestions that this was to engineer a move to north London, although Chronicle Live believes Longstaff has no intentions to leave the club.
And Lee believes that the 23-year-old, who is out of contract at the end of next season, still has to prove he deserves the move.
"I’m very cynical when it comes to these sorts of things. I’m sure Longstaff, in my opinion, is potentially a top-class player. He’s come in and done very, very well,” Lee told Football FanCast.
"Don’t listen to people saying [they can] get you here. Get your head down and play football, you’re playing for the club you love. You’re young. All those things will come to you.
"I think players have to realise, actually, it’s not the agent that gets them the move, it’s the player that gets the move. If he plays badly, I don’t care who your agent is, if he plays terrible and he starts playing badly, then no one’s getting him a move.
"So, it’s up to him who is agent is, it’s up to him who he wants to go with but, for me, at the moment, for Sean Longstaff, he should stay, play for Newcastle. And if he wants to move later in his career when he’s done really, really well, then [fine].
"It just seems to me that young players break into a team, and all of a sudden somebody wants to move on and cash-in. I don’t mean the clubs, and I don’t mean the player, I mean agents. So, I don’t know [if he will leave], I’m very sceptical of these sorts of things."
A Europa League fixture boost
Newcastle were handed a Europa League fixture boost this week when Manchester United slipped out of the Champions League.
On Monday morning, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side were drawn against Real Sociedad, the current leaders in La Liga. They will play their two-legged tie on Thursday, February 18 and Thursday, February 25.
In between these matches is United's domestic trip to Newcastle, which will now be played on Sunday, February 21.
Solskjaer could handle this fixture congestion in a variety of ways, but having been handed such a difficult draw, he will struggle to rest key starters in midweek fixtures. Therefore, Newcastle could be the welcome beneficiaries.
