Newcastle fans in disbelief after hearing player will be missing Man City clash due to ECZEMA

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.

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.

"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."

Matt Targett- Getty

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.

The 29-year-old is still yet to make an appearance since October 2023 and hasn't featured in a matchday squad since January.