Newcastle United

Josh Lobley
BBC Sport Journalist

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Wolves at St James' Park (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Howe confirmed summer signing Yoane Wissa will not be available for selection this weekend: "I saw him for the first time yesterday [Thursday] and he is feeling the effects of injuries sustained just before he came off. We will have to see how he is. I don't know [if it will be a long term injury]. "

• Elsewhere in the squad, Jacob Ramsey is the only other injury concern for Howe: "Unfortunately I think he will be missing until the next international break."

• It is the first time Howe has spoken to the media since the signing of Wissa and he offered: "He is an established Premier League goalscorer which is very difficult to recruit. He has very good qualities and has had an outstanding few years in the league. He has been a difficult player for us to handle when we have come against him and I really admire the journey he has been on here."

• When asked if fellow summer signing Nick Woltemade will play on Saturday: "There isn't a set formula for bedding in new players, it all depends on their needs, fitness and form. I have no hesitation playing any of the new players currently."

• On the prospect of Woltemade and Wissa playing together: "It depends on the team's needs and whether it is the right thing tactically. I would never rule out the possibility of playing two centre-forwards together and they have the qualities to play together - but we have a way of playing and I wouldn't want to deviate too far from that."

• He spoke about the club's position with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) following the sale of Alexander Isak: "It has been well documented that we have sold players when we didn't want to. We hope to be in a position where we don't have to make those type of decisions again."

• With some transfer windows still open, he was asked if there could be any more outgoings in the coming weeks: "I don't know what is going to happen, but I imagine time is running out with some transfer windows. I hope to keep the squad together now."

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Here more from Howe on BBC Sounds

Ciaran Kelly
Football reporter

Newcastle certainly did their homework on Yoane Wissa.

Head coach Eddie Howe targeted players who were "desperate" to join the club, particularly after strikers Hugo Ekitike, Benjamin Sesko and Joao Pedro opted to move elsewhere, and the DR Congo international fitted the bill.

Newcastle, tellingly, returned to the table with a third and final bid on deadline day rather than moving on to an alternative.

It signified a rare shift in transfer policy. In fact, Newcastle had not signed an outfield player over the age of 25 since Howe's first summer in charge in 2022.

Yet the 29-year-old appears to be a relative late bloomer rather than someone entering the twilight of his career.

Wissa's year-on-year development has been such he went on to score more non-penalty goals (19) than any other player in the Premier League last season.

His record in front of goal, his ability to plug in and his work off the ball made him an attractive proposition for Newcastle, who only had one player hit double figures last season.

That man was Alexander Isak.

It will now fall to Wissa, the club's number nine, and record signing Nick Woltemade to help fill the void left by the Swede.

French defender Julien Laporte suggested there is more to come from his former Lorient team-mate.

"I'm proud to have played with someone like Yoane because he's had a great career. In my opinion, it's not finished," he said.

Read more on Wissa

Ciaran Kelly
Newcastle United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The Newcastle United Supporters' Trust (NUST) have welcomed the club taking "visible action to deter and penalise those who may be profiteering from other fans".

It follows Newcastle cancelling tickets purchased by a school nearly 200 miles away for the Champions League home game against Barcelona.

Forty-five tickets for the match at St James' Park on 18 September were bought by the High School of Dundee - days after 110,000 fans had been in an online queue for the remaining seats.

A spokesman for the school confirmed that they were "informed by the approved provider that the tickets have been cancelled" after purchasing them in good faith.

But it is understood that the tickets came from unauthorised reselling by fans who have now had their season tickets cancelled.

• Read more on the ticket story

Newcastle do not have an authorised reseller and the only way to sell season tickets is through the club's official platform at face value.

The NUST "welcomed" the club "taking visible action to deter and penalise those who may be profiteering from other fans or, in this baffling case, a number of school pupils from Dundee".

NUST added: "Along with the rise in ticket prices, according to our annual survey, one of the biggest concerns for Newcastle fans is reduced ticket availability due not only to high demand but the selling of tickets through third party sites or other unauthorised means.

"The situation this week has highlighted those frustrations once again. Ticketing can be a divisive subject but we feel united in the stance that tickets belong in the hands of genuine Newcastle United supporters and thank the club for their approach to those who misuse the system. We will continue to request transparency across all ticketing procedures."

Image source, Getty Images

Former Newcastle defender John Anderson believes Eddie Howe's choice between Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa will be easy on Saturday.

Speaking on BBC Radio Newcastle, the former Newcastle defender said he doesn't "understand why you wouldn't play Wissa".

Anderson said: "You know he's played at that level and that he's comfortable and that he can score goals. He's proved that with his time at Brentford.

"Woltemade will be given time I think. I think his first start will come against Bradford in the League Cup."

Access BBC Radio Newcastle's clips on the Magpies

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Former Newcastle defender John Anderson says the return to fitness of Lewis Hall gives Eddie Howe options at the back: "[Tino] Livramento has been great at left-back and was for England on Tuesday as well. Hall had another full week's training with the England boys and has been getting the yards in.

" So there could be a possibility of Hall coming in at left-back and Livramento switching to right-back.

"It's a nice problem for him [Howe] to have, because Trippier started the season at right-back because of Hall's [injury] situation. I think he might stick with Trippier and keep Livramento at left-back, to give Hall a little bit more time.

"It's a defence that's kept two clean sheets in the three league games so far so why would he look at changing it? But, somewhere along the line you've got to get Hall back in the side.

"He was excellent before he unfortunately picked up that injury towards the back of the season."

Listen to the full clip on BBC Radio Newcastle

Ciaran Kelly
Newcastle United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

It feels like the season really starts now for Newcastle United.

The Alexander Isak saga had cast a shadow as Newcastle attempted to navigate the opening weeks of the campaign without an experienced striker.

And the need for firepower was clear.

Newcastle had 34 shots against Aston Villa, Liverpool and Leeds United, but only mustered a couple of goals.

Football is rarely so simple but, with a goalscorer in the side, it is not hard to imagine Newcastle would have had more than two points to show for their efforts.

Newcastle now have options at least, even if Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa have not had much time to catch their breaths since completing their moves to St James' Park.

So who could start against Wolves at the weekend?

Well, Woltemade trained for the first time at Newcastle's training ground on Tuesday after representing Germany on international duty.

The record signing will therefore have had a little more time with his new team-mates than Wissa, who is embarking on a long journey back to the UK after scoring a couple of goals for DR Congo.

But it is also worth noting that Wissa has vast Premier League experience whereas Woltemade has never played outside of his homeland before.

Choosing who will lead the line on Saturday is a welcome dilemma of sorts for Howe as Newcastle seek their first win of the season.

Newcastle and Liverpool are the latest clubs to join the race to sign England and midfielder Adam Wharton, 21, with Chelsea and Manchester United also among interested parties.

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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Jordan Butler
BBC Sport journalist

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It is not entirely surprising to see long throws making a comeback, especially with the addition of set-piece coaches and the recent sporting obsession with marginal gains.

However, the level at which they have risen might surprise.

This season the Premier League is averaging three long throws into the penalty area per game – an increase of 100% on the previous two campaigns and 233.33% more than in 2020-21.

Of course we are only 30 games into a 380-game season so therefore the sample size is small, but the numbers are clear - the long throw is certainly back in vogue.

When diving into the data for how individual clubs rank this campaign, Newcastle come out joint-fifth alongside Burnley and Tottenham.

Eddie Howe's side have already put seven long throws into the penalty area across their three games - averaging 2.3 per match, which is just below the wider league average of three.

However, despite this use of long throws in the box, the Magpies have struggled to fully take advantage having drawn a blank in front of goal in two of their opening three matches.

But how do you feel about this tactic for Newcastle?

Happy with the amount?

Should they be using it more or less often?

Make your choice here

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Alexander Isak says he "can't control everything that's said or written" about the transfer saga that eventually saw him move from Newcastle to Liverpool on transfer deadline day for a British record £125m.

Isak was left out of the Magpies' squad for their pre-season tour of Asia with what the club described as a "minor thigh injury", though it was understood at the time he wanted to explore a move away.

He then trained alone with former club Real Sociedad as Liverpool's first bid of £110m was rejected - before refusing to rejoin the Newcastle squad and releasing a statement in which he said promises had been "broken" by the St James' Park club and that their "relationship can't continue".

The club in response said "no commitment had ever been made by a club official that Alex can leave Newcastle United this summer".

"Not everyone has the full picture, but that's something for another day," Isak told Swedish media after his country's 2-0 World Cup qualifying defeat by Kosovo on Monday.

"I can't control everything that's said or written. But I'm happy that I became a Liverpool player."

Isak came on as a second-half substitute in Pristina for his first competitive minutes of the campaign.

"It's great that everything was settled before the camp and that I could focus on playing football again," he added.

"It's been a fairly new situation for me, but you always learn and develop mentally off the pitch as well."

Wolves expect no issues negotiating a new contract with 25-year-old Jorgen Strand Larsen but they will include a minimum release clause for the Norway forward, after rejecting two offers of more than £50m from Newcastle United in the summer. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

Newcastle, Manchester United and Aston Villa are eyeing Athletic Bilbao's Daniel Vivian and might meet the 26-year-old Spain centre-back's release clause of about £35m next summer. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Charlotte Robson
Fan writer

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Normally, I hate the international break happening so soon in the season.

Often, we are just getting a bit of momentum, then all of a sudden key parts of our squad are flying all over the place and we miss out on watching them gel and playing together after the summer.

Not this year. This year, I have relished the break.

It is not that I do not want to watch Newcastle play. I always want that. It is that this season so far has been blighted by a transfer window that, in my humble opinion, should close before the season starts.

As a result, it does not feel like we have got going. In part, this is because we have been playing without a striker and only picked up two points from the first three matches. The less said about that the better.

But we have our squad now and it feels like we can actually get started. It has actually been nice to see our players head out on international duty. In years gone by, we had very few players called up to their national teams, so that represents a positive direction of travel.

Seeing how they play, particularly our new players, has been good too. Our established stars such as Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali played for their respective countries, with Bruno bagging a goal, but we also got to see Anthony Elanga score for Sweden, Nick Woltemade provide an assist for Germany and Yoane Wissa score for the Democratic Republic of Congo.

These performances make me feel warm inside. One might dismiss a good performance in a 'bad' national team, but I do not, because Eddie Howe is Newcastle's manager and he makes players better.

It is exciting that these players have so much potential because Howe is the coach that can help them realise it. There is much to come from Newcastle this season - I can feel it.

Find more from Charlotte Robson at the True Faith: Newcastle United Podcast, external

Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Leeds United are interested in Crystal Palace's 28-year-old France striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and could make a move in January. (Caught Offside), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

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BBC Radio Newcastle's Dominic James says new Magpies chief executive David Hopkinson brings pedigree and expertise to St James' Park.

On Thursday, Hopkinson was announced as the successor to Darren Eales, who stepped down after being diagnosed with a chronic form of blood cancer.

"Hopkinson led the business operations for the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers," James explained. "He was previously global head of partnerships at Real Madrid and oversaw a lot of the changes we are only now seeing at Santiago Bernabeu.

"Back in 2019, Hopkinson was asked what he would like to be remembered upon leaving Real Madrid. He said: 'I think in five years from now we will have a club and business which is quite different from the one we have today. A different home and doing things in a different way. I'd like to be one of the architects who made that a success.'

"I think you can say all those changes are now proving a success.

"Before that, he was a commercial officer for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors and he was responsible for signing one of the biggest naming rights deals in the history of North American Sports - worth $800m.

"He has a very good CV."

Listen to the full chat on BBC Sounds

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Dan Burn is relieved the transfer window is over after a summer of sagas at Newcastle United.

Speaking while on England duty, he reflected on how it has felt to be both a Newcastle supporter and player during the past few months, particularly given the circumstances around Alexander Isak's protracted move to Liverpool.

"We are very protective of our club and city and we want players to be there who want to play for Newcastle, he said. "You don't want them to naively think that there is anyone else to go to apart from Newcastle.

"I understand why our fans are frustrated.

"I'm glad it is done [Isak's transfer]. We wanted the window closed to have a bit of clarity on it. Alex is a mate and I have nothing but good wishes. No animosity. I wish Alex all the best, apart from when we play Liverpool, obviously."

Now a fixture in the England squad, Burn said he is playing the "best football of my career" before World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia.

"On a personal level, I am probably playing the best football of my career," he said. "I am in a good place physically and mentally, where I am up for the challenge.

"Eddie [Howe] is relentless in the way that he works. He leaves no stone unturned. When I go in, I know exactly what I need to do."

Bundesliga reporter Archie Rhind-Tutt has been giving BBC Radio Newcastle some insight into what the Magpies have acquired in forward Nick Woltemade.

He explains: "Woltemade is a 1.98m bean pole so you think, 'holding the ball up'. No. His best skill is dribbling and it is a joy to watch.

"He started the at Stuttgart, coming in from Werder Bremen as a free. I'd heard from people who watch Werder Bremen more than I do to watch Woltemade you needed to see the bits he'd performed off the bench but he'd not had much of a chance.

"He came to Stuttgart and didn't make their Champions League squad. In November things started to click and he went from Woltemade to Wolte-Messi with the fans.

"He has this ability to dance through players at will and just be such a unique player. Sure, there are improvements to be made in terms of his hold up play, his coolness in front of goal. If Eddie Howe can get this guy moving further in the right direction then Newcastle have a very exciting player.

"Finally, one of his answers to me was 'I like to be the entertainer'. I think that's always exciting to hear from a football player."