Football League World
·18 December 2024
Football League World
·18 December 2024
12 players look set to miss the Carabao Cup quarter-final clash on Wednesday evening.
Both Newcastle United and Brentford will be without a handful of players each for their Carabao Cup tie on Wednesday night.
The two sides face off for a place in the semi-finals of the competition, which they will be hopeful they can secure. With a trip to Wembley and potential silverware just a game away for the winner, both teams will certainly be taking the competition very seriously.
However, the two Premier League sides will be missing some of their key players, which they will hope doesn't affect the outcome of the game. The Bees got the better of the Magpies in the League last week, but that was on their own turf. This time, they travel to the North-East, which could prove to be a much more difficult task.
With that in mind, here are the players that will be missing for what could be a crucial fixture under the lights at St James' Park, starting with the hosts.
Eddie Howe has been experimental with his midfield this season, especially in the cup. This has seen Sean Longstaff get two outings in the competition already. However, the Newcastle academy product will be suspended for the visit of Brentford on Wednesday night, having picked up two bookings in his previous two Carabao Cup matches.
Another setback for the England international came in his previous meeting with the Bees. Nick Pope suffered a knee injury in Newcastle's 4-2 defeat at the GTech Community Stadium, which Howe has said will rule the shot-stopper out for around a month.
With a busy schedule coming up, the £10m man is an enormous loss for the Toon Army.
Sven Botman is a key part of the Newcastle defence when fit. Sadly, he hasn't featured since March, having torn his ACL.
He managed an hour for the Under-21s against Chelsea but is expected to return in late December, meaning he will miss the crucial cup tie.
Having been injured since pre-season, there was yet another unfortunate setback for Callum Wilson.
Whilst recovering from a back injury, the former Bournemouth striker suffered a hamstring injury. This will keep him out until mid-February.
March 2024 was a cursed month for Newcastle centre-backs, as both Botman and Jamaal Lascelles suffered ACL injuries.
It's expected that the club captain will return in February, as he continues the road to recovery.
Swedish defender, Emil Krafth, has proven to be a reliable option over the years for the Toon Army.
However, he remains sidelined after breaking his collarbone in November. The latest update suggests a return to action for the Swede in January.
The first Brentford player missing will be no surprise for supporters. Josh Dasilva has been absent for just under a year, having sustained a knee injury last January.
The midfielder isn't expected to return until the new year.
Dasilva's midfield deputy, Mathias Jensen, is also out of action thanks to injury.
Thomas Frank may have expected the Dane to be available by now, but he revealed last week that Jensen would be missing for "a couple more weeks."
It's been an awful year for Aaron Hickey, who hasn't adorned the red and white stripes since October last year. Multiple injury setbacks have limited him to just nine Bees appearances in the league.
His latest hamstring injury he sustained in August is expected to rule him out for most of the 2024/25 season.
The last time he faced the Magpies, Rico Henry sustained an ACL injury. This was way back in September 2023, which was the last time he stepped foot on a pitch since then.
Sadly, he won't be making a return on Wednesday but is expected to return before Hickey.
Non-Brentford supporters would be forgiven for not even knowing Gustavo Nunes was at the club. The summer signing is yet to feature for the London side.
Having suffered a lower back stress fracture, Frank confirmed that the injury hasn't healed the way they'd hoped, which is causing a delay on the Brazilian's introduction.
Another summer signing, Igor Thiago, had to wait until the 4-2 victory over the Toon to make his full Brentford debut.
However, a fresh setback has left him unsure about playing in the cup tie on Wednesday. His manager said: "He has trained, and it's positive - we will see. I will make an assessment [whether he's ready for Newcastle] on Wednesday."