Eddie Howe has revealed he will be a man light for his side's clash with Manchester City this weekend following one player coming down with eczema.
It's been a topsy-turvy start to the season for Newcastle as they sit a very respectable sixth in the Premier League table with 10 points from five matches.
However, the performances on the pitch have far from inspired fans with the Toon being dismantled 3-1 by Fulham in their last game.
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The return of Sandro Tonali to the squad is a major boost to Howe, and with no European football to contend with it simply has to be a strong season for Newcastle given the investment.
Newcastle will be desperate to bounce back against City in the early kick-off on Saturday, but Howe will be without one of his first-team squad due to... Eczema.
While a significant flare-up in eczema is no laughing matter and 100% could be enough for someone to be ruled out, it has to be up there as one of the more unusual reasons a player has missed a fixture.
Speaking on Friday, Howe confirmed that Matt Target would be unavailable for selection due to the condition.
"Matt had a flare-up of eczema, so he's been nursing that the last couple of weeks," Howe explained.
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"It's been quite a bad episode for him. We're hoping to get him back to training, but he won't play this weekend."
Despite impressing on his initial loan spell in the North East, Targett has found it hard to cement himself in the starting eleven ever since he completed the £15m permanent move.
That is largely down to injuries as the full-back missed 35 games last season with long-term hamstring and Achilles issues.
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The 29-year-old is still yet to make an appearance since October 2023 and hasn't featured in a matchday squad since January.
Topics: Newcastle United, Eddie Howe, Manchester City, Premier League
Tom Jenkins