Newcastle United

Former Newcastle United goalkeeper Rob Elliot has been pondering who should be the club's first-choice goalkeeper, Nick Pope or Aaron Ramsdale?

"Nick Pope is in form, he's played consistently, he deals with the high ball so well despite the Brentford and West Ham one, he reads the game and he makes massive saves," says Elliot.

"I think at the moment, we still need goalkeepers that make massive saves at the right time until we get the consistency back as a team.

"And I think that you're probably looking at maybe in the next six months, three to six months, where whether it's Aaron Ramsdale or someone else that comes in - there was talks of James Trafford wasn't there at previous times - that comes in that maybe does evolve that position where they're a ballplaying goalkeeper. I think it's getting that balance right. And for me at this moment in time, stick with Nick Pope, I think he's earned that right but it's fantastic to have a top class person as well and goalkeeper in Ramsdale."

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Ciaran Kelly
Newcastle United reporter

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Some of you have been sending in questions about why Eddie Howe does not play Lewis Miley via our 'Ask about Newcastle' form. There are concerns expressed that the midfielder will have seen Elliot Anderson's progress since leaving and want the same, putting the Magpies at risk of losing another young talent.

This is a timely question. In so many ways.

First, Miley memorably broke into the side two years ago - at the height of an injury crisis - so it feels apt to reflect on his development since then.

Secondly, Newcastle's heavyweight midfield has not been functioning like it used to on the road, which potentially raises the prospect of increased game time for Miley and one or two others in the coming weeks given the number of games Howe's side have.

I get the comparison with Anderson, a fellow midfielder and academy graduate, but it is easy to forget Miley is three and a half years younger yet has already played more games for his boyhood club than his former team-mate ever did.

Miley is also the sort of character who has taken a lot from the matches he has featured in this season - and the staff and players he has worked with day in, day out for a while now - rather than lamenting the games he has not.

Howe has been conscious of not putting too much pressure on Miley, particularly after an injury-ravaged campaign last year, but the head coach rates the 19-year-old as an "outstanding talent".

He certainly will not want to lose him after having to let Anderson go because of the club's desperate profit and sustainability situation in 2024.

I still see Miley being a big part of the club's future.

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Manchester United are eyeing Elliot Anderson, 23, but face competition from Liverpool and Newcastle for the £100m-rated England and Nottingham Forest midfielder. (Times - subscription required, external)

Manchester City could offer James Trafford to Newcastle in a player-plus-cash deal to secure the services of 23-year-old England full-back Tino Livramento. (Teamtalk, external)

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

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Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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One of potentially the biggest moments in English football is coming on Friday, but precious few people understand how important it could be or even know about it.

The Premier League is considering 'anchoring' wages, which would cap the amount any club could spend on their squad at five times the smallest central Premier League broadcasting and prize money payout.

It is a complex argument. The league and some clubs are considering it because they want to ensure wage inflation does not continue to rise endangering their long-term financial security. From the other side - the players and their union, the PFA - this unnaturally limits the amount they can earn in what has until now been a free and open market.

Any changes to that position foisted upon the players without their prior consultation and agreement will not go down well. Remember, the players are the people that the paying public, the TV companies and the advertisers want to see, not a bunch of chairmen, executives and directors arguing over accounts, dividends and profit margins.

The game has increased the number of games played per season without consulting those who are physically doing it. No studies on how that will affect their health in the short and long term were considered, and so the PFA in England looks like it is finally ready to take a strong stand for its members.

Strike ballots are not unknown, I should know, as chairman of the PFA my name was on the bottom of every ballot paper when we last considered strike action over changes in working conditions. The modern owners may have forgotten, but we had 99% backing from our members.

Owners may think of footballers as ultra wealthy, mercenary, thickos who can easily be controlled - well they thought that last time and they lost.

It is time for serious and meaningful negotiation between equals and not a master and serf attitude from one side towards the other.

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This is the final part of our Q&A with BBC Sport's Newcastle United reporter Ciaran Kelly. Scroll down this page to read the previous three parts, which were published over Wednesday and Thursday.

Paul asked: Will Newcastle receive compensation from Fifa for Yoane Wissa's injury on international duty for DR Congo? Will he play at Afcon? When will he make his club debut? Will he play alongside Nick Woltemade when he is back?

Ciaran answered: Fifa's club protection programme covers the wages of players injured on international duty up to the maximum amount of £6.6m, until they are declared fit to return for their clubs.

However, that will be of little consolation to Newcastle after the club spent £55m on Wissa in order to ease the burden on Woltemade, who has instead had to hit the ground running.

There is no concrete return date as of yet for Wissa - it could even be next month at this rate - as Newcastle staff want to ensure the forward is not only able to stay fit but also able to immediately impact games once he returns to action.

I initially wondered whether Wissa would be rotated with Woltemade, but the team looks in need of a spark.

As much as the return of full-backs Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento will give Newcastle a new outlet down the flanks, Wissa could offer a new dimension with his pace and instincts inside the box.

One way of accommodating both Woltemade and Wissa through the middle would be to switch to a 4-2-3-1 formation.

But, given how out of form the vast majority of Newcastle's wingers are, it is also not hard to imagine Eddie Howe using Wissa out wide, where the 29-year-old played most of his football for Brentford before he moved inside last season following Ivan Toney's departure.

It could be that Wissa only briefly returns to action before flying off to the Africa Cup of Nations, but it is important to stress this is a major international tournament.

This is a decision that needs to be handled sensitively.

Edward asked: Can you try to explain the growing gap between Newcastle's Champions League and domestic form? Is it that Europe is now our priority, or do we play better under pressure, or are Brentford and Brighton better sides than Benfica and Athletic Club?

Ciaran answered: It is the million-pound question, isn't it?

When Newcastle were last in the Champions League a couple of years ago, they actually made a reasonably strong start to their Premier League season. In fact, at this stage of the campaign, Newcastle had six more points than they do now.

This time around, the dynamic has been flipped.

Having faced some of Europe's elite in 2023, Newcastle were thrown into the group of death with Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan.

Howe's side have clearly relished the new Champions League format. In fact, they have already beaten Benfica, Athletic Club and Union Saint-Gilloise in the league phase by an aggregate score of 9-0.

For me, though, it is about mentality.

It is all well and good getting up for a Champions League night, but Newcastle have to show real grit to go to Brighton or Brentford, as you say, and come away with something.

The competitiveness of the Premier League is such that Newcastle are now coming up against clued-up sides that have the technical ability and physicality to cause them real problems.

If Newcastle are even slightly off it, they will be punished.

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The third part of our Q&A with BBC Sport's Newcastle United reporter Ciaran Kelly is about the club's future at St James' Park.

Bib asked: Are you in favour of staying at St James' Park or moving to a new location, considering the unrest this has caused within the fanbases of other clubs? Either way, surely the capacity of our ground must be enlarged to support our long-term goal?

Ciaran answered: When Newcastle United first commenced their feasibility study a couple of years ago, I was very much of the view they should stay put.

I am an outsider, obviously, but having covered games in dozens of stadiums across the country and Europe, there is something truly unique about St James' Park.

Like most people, my first visit stuck with me. It was not only the location of the stadium, but the fire that could be lit inside it at any given moment.

You can see why Newcastle have repeatedly stressed no decision has been made on whether to stay or go. This is a call laced with emotion, but they also have to take the emotion out of it.

As you say, in an era of profit and sustainability, how big a difference will potentially adding a few thousand seats make, given the constraints of the ground?

Will it deliver value for money when those at the very top have vowed to "only want to write that cheque once"?

As much as there are potential pitfalls in building a new stadium, there are also lessons to be learned from other clubs on what to avoid and how to get it right - and location really matters in this instance.

No wonder Newcastle have taken their time with such a seismic call - they have to get it right.

Former Magpies defender and BBC Radio Newcastle pundit John Anderson has been inducted into the club's hall of fame.

After receiving the award on stage at the Newcastle United Foundation awards evening, he revealed an amusing story about how to his mind Kevin Keegan's return to St James' Park was only facilitated because of him.

Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport journalist

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The Africa Cup of Nations kicks off earlier than usual this year, with up to 17 Premier League clubs set to be affected by players jetting off to host country Morocco.

The tournament runs from 21 December until 18 January.

There has been no official announcement about which date clubs will have to release their players by - and it could vary depending on agreements.

Players could miss up to six, or in some cases seven, Premier League matches - plus FA Cup and Carabao Cup games - if they reach the final.

The group stages end on 31 December, so quickly eliminated players may only miss half that amount.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Leeds do not have any players due to play in the 2025 Afcon - with Sunderland and Wolves losing the most players.

• Aston Villa - 1

• Bournemouth - 1

• Brentford - 2

• Brighton - 1

• Burnley - 3

• Crystal Palace - 1 to 4

• Everton - 2 to 3

• Fulham - 3

• Liverpool - 1

• Manchester City - 2

• Manchester United - 3

• Newcastle United - 0 to 1

• Nottingham Forest - 1 to 4

• Sunderland - 7

• Tottenham - 1 to 2

• West Ham United - 2

• Wolves - 5

Read the full article here to know which players will feature at Afcon

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The next part of our Q&A with BBC Sport's Newcastle United reporter Ciaran Kelly looks at Dan Burn's recent stint at left-back.

Jonathan asked: Do you think Eddie Howe understands the weaknesses of playing Dan Burn at left-back? Will he always find a place in the team for Burn, even if it means changing his system?

Ciaran answered: I'm not sure whether Howe has had much choice, to be honest.

When Lewis Hall was injured back in March, the Newcastle head coach moved Tino Livramento over to left-back and kept Burn at centre-back.

But Livramento has also been sidelined of late with a knee injury so, aside from shifting Burn across, the only other alternative was to field Emil Krafth at right-back and switch Kieran Trippier to left-back.

Burn has obvious limitations at left-back and there is no way the tiring defender should have been left on the field against Brentford, when he was on a booking and mightily lucky in escaping a red after taking Dango Ouattara down inside the box - only to give away a penalty and get sent off for fouling the same player just minutes later.

Newcastle have been conscious of easing Hall back in, but Saturday feels like a real opportunity for the left-back to nail down his starting position again, particularly after he impressed for England Under-21s last week.

In truth, it is probably the easiest decision Howe has to make before Manchester City's visit, given how much Newcastle have missed Hall and indeed Livramento, who gives something different on the flanks.

What will be intriguing is what happens thereafter.

Does Howe revert to a back five to rediscover some much-needed solidity on the road or does he restore Burn to the heart of his defence?

Come back to this page on Thursday for more of our Q&A with Ciaran, which will look at the club's future at St James' Park, inconsistent form and Yoane Wissa's injury.

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The first part of our Q&A with BBC Sport's Newcastle United reporter Ciaran Kelly focuses on Anthony Elanga and William Osula.

Lisa asked: What is the plan with Anthony Elanga? We don't seem to be using him much, given he cost £55m.

Ciaran answered: Game time was one thing Elanga was as good as guaranteed when he signed for the club, especially given the number of competitions Newcastle are in.

But as you alluded to, the winger has only started one of the past six matches in all competitions.

As much as that has been down to the form of Jacob Murphy, his team-mate also understands the role, having been at the club since Eddie Howe took charge four years ago.

By contrast, Elanga has needed to adapt to a new way of working and a different style of play compared with what he was used to at Nottingham Forest.

The coaching staff have been using this period, where he has not been a regular starter, to drill into such detail at the training ground.

But there is no exact science as to when it will click.

Some players grasp life under Howe quicker than others - just look at Malick Thiaw, who arrived a few weeks after Elanga and from another league - while others need an extended bedding-in period.

It brings back one or two memories of another winger, Anthony Gordon, who also had prior experience of playing in the Premier League but required time to find his feet following his move from Everton in 2023.

Newcastle stumped up an even bigger fee for Elanga, but those behind the scenes still firmly believe he will be a "big player" for the club in time.

Image source, Getty Images

Gerald asked: Why is William Osula not getting more game time?

Ciaran answered: He has been nursing an ankle issue for a little while now and a recent scan advised him to ease off rather than continuing to train and play.

As a result, Osula looks set to have a brief spell on the sidelines but Howe and his coaching team have been heartened by his development in recent months.

Osula impressed for Denmark in the Under-21 Euros last summer - and has since earned a call-up to the senior squad - while his one-to-one work with assistant Graeme Jones, a former striker himself, is bearing fruit.

The 22-year-old has shown an ability to affect games this season, whether in the Premier League, Champions League or Carabao Cup.

Although Yoane Wissa is closing in on a return to action, Osula will certainly be needed if the forward represents DR Congo at the Africa Cup of Nations next month.

Also, you wonder whether Howe will consider fielding both Nick Woltemade and Wissa in the same side together, either in a 4-2-3-1 or, alternatively, by utilising the latter out wide, which would still give Osula an opening as an impact player.

However, having come close to joining Eintracht Frankfurt last summer, you wonder whether Osula will ultimately have to leave the club to get the starts he needs in order to truly realise his potential.

Image source, Getty Images

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has addressed their stuttering start to the Premier League campaign.

Sitting 14th in the table with just three wins and five defeats, early optimism has given way to concerns about form, consistency and momentum. With expectations heightened by last year's top-five finish and the demands of competing on multiple fronts, the pressure to steady the ship is growing.

Speaking at the Newcastle United Foundation dinner, Howe was open about the need for improvement, while also highlighting the Magpies are in good shape in both the Champions League and the Carabao Cup.

"Our Premier League form has not been good, and our away form has not been good," Howe said on BBC Radio Newcastle. "[But] our home form's been strong, been good in the Champions League and we're still in the Carabao Cup, so it's a mixture of things.

"It's been difficult to pinpoint one thing but certainly, we know we have to improve the general performances.

"We're looking for more consistency - we're looking for more goals. We're looking for a big response in this moment and we're going to need them because we have got game after game. Our schedule for the next two months is relentless, so we can't allow any sort of negative trend to continue. It's a really important few weeks for us."

Newcastle's right-back Kieran Trippier also echoed the sense of responsibility inside the dressing room, stressing that the players understand the expectations that come with the club's rapid rise and the congested fixture list.

"We understand the supporters' frustration at the moment, but that comes with how quickly we transitioned as a team, as a club, as a fanbase. Of course, it's demanding with Champions League, Premier League and Carabao Cup, and there's no excuse from us players, we know we need to perform better, especially away from home, and that will come.

"All us players can promise is that the results will turn especially away from home, and as always, we will give 110%."

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Charlotte Robson
Fan writer

Which player is flying?: Malick Thiaw. Signed this summer after Fabian Schar suffered a concussion playing against Barcelona early in the season and seamlessly fitted into our defence. He has shown himself to be an incredibly skillful and smart defender.

Which player is floundering?: Anthony Gordon has not found his form yet. I'm not happy saying he is 'floundering' as he has been instrumental in our Champions League games, but in the league he has yet to find his mojo.

Tactically I think we... do not have an identity this season. Our full-backs have been blighted by injury, which has meant relying on players that we probably hoped to see less of. I expected us to be a more attacking team this season and we have not been able to realise that vision. Increasingly, it has looked chaotic on the pitch.

I want my manager to give me... more of what he has given us in the past few seasons, which is to say a delicious run of games where we win and play brilliantly, because I know he has it in him to get that out of our players. It just has not clicked yet for us.

Some of our fans seem obsessed with... Sunderland away in December.

But they should be thinking about... Everton and the games before. We need to fix our form and start winning more broadly.

My expectations for the season were... to really kick on in the league table and cement ourselves as a consistent top-six contender. I am now hopeful we can progress in the cup competitions. I am not sure top six is within reach, though.

Score for the season so far: 6.5/10. We need to find that league form but we are still in the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup and doing well in the Champions League.

One sentence on how you're feeling right now: Cautiously positive about the rest of the season because Eddie Howe often answers difficult questions put to him and we have got players coming back from injury. I hope we can really turn it around and start picking up more points.

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

Over the past week, we have been asking you to send in the best Premier League XI your club could have put together.

We know football existed before 1992 but as a Leeds United fan asked our experts on the club to name theirs - using the Ask Me Anything form on the Whites - we stuck with their parameters.

Here's BBC Sport's Newcastle fan writer Charlotte's effort.

And you can ask us about the Magpies using the Ask Me Anything form at the top of this page or here

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

Nottingham Forest will not consider selling England midfielder Elliot Anderson in the forthcoming transfer window and value the 23-year-old in excess of £100m amid strong interest from Manchester United and his former club Newcastle. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

We have, roughly, run the numbers and here is the XI your submissions have produced.

You could have seen Alan Shearer coming a mile off, but Lewis Hall sneaking in at left-back? It was all very tight but the 21-year-old just gets the nod ahead of team-mate Tino Livramento.

Current midfield stalwarts Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes are joined by 1990s legend Robert Lee in the centre of the park.

Ahead of them, both Peter Beardsley and David Ginola get the opportunity to supply Newcastle's record goalscorer.

Only question now would be which of Kevin Keegan, Sir Bobby Robson or Eddie Howe would get the chance to manage this group?

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

The statistics might say playing at home is an advantage - but what happens when it is not?

So far this season, 53% of Premier League matches have been won by the home team - the highest ever rate in a single campaign.

On the flip side, just 26% have been won by the away team - the lowest rate since 2010-11.

However, this has not been the case for all teams.

For some, being on the road has been more favourable. Tottenham are perhaps the most contrasting example having the joint-most points away from home with 13, but the second-worst in front of their own fans with just five points.

In the second part of her chat with BBC Sport, performance psychologist Marie Cartwright explained: "With crowds when playing away from home, there is a reduced scrutiny as a whole for away teams in that those crowds expect the home team to be the ones in charge. The players feel less judged. The pressure is on the other side.

"Another reason could come down to something in psychology I like to call simplification of the task. The team has a better collective identity when they are away.

"The human brain still goes back to the cavemen days. We have to, as a collective, fight for something. We have to protect our name. It goes back to that hunter-gatherer-against-danger mentality.

"When players are in front of a home crowd, there can be a bit of playing up to the individuality.

"I really do believe that collective identity has a strong enough influence because it amplifies the purpose and the belonging - let's belong together, let's be stronger together."

The focus might be on the players' performances being impacted by being home or away, but what about the managers?

Wolves, West Ham and Nottingham Forest make up three of the bottom four for their home records so far this term, and all have changed their manager in recent weeks.

"100% managers and coaches can be affected, and sometimes even more so because there is so much riding on that one person," Cartwright said.

"The decision-making is the main thing. The crowd is chanting - 'take this player off, do this' - and it can lead to rushed decisions, particularly when the noise becomes relentless.

"Then there is the emotional regulation and touchline behaviour. A manager is pacing up and down, mirroring the stress state, and players see that. It can lead to mimicking and players feeling that stress too."

The impact on teams psychologically playing home or away is apparent, so how can they make the most from these different conditions?

"Our brains are wired to think negatively - it's a protection mechanism," Cartwright said.

"So when it comes to performing home and away, those players and managers who deal with it best are those who know how to use the noise and scrutiny and move on quickly from it - an ability to have a reset routine and regulate their emotions in these pressurised situations."

Read more from Marie in part one of her chat around the impact of playing at home here

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

"Home advantage gives you an advantage."

It is a quote - among many - attributed to the famous former England manager Sir Bobby Robson - a simple, yet fair reflection of a historical format of football.

For as long as teams have played in leagues, games taking place home and away has been the norm, with the idea that playing at home will be to the benefit of that team.

But what is the impact of playing at your own ground in front of your own fans?

In the first part of her chat with BBC Sport, performance psychologist Marie Cartwright explained: "Home impact can be viewed in two ways. Sometimes it does have a positive impact, and what happens is there is an elevated motivation.

"What that means is the crowd energy increases adrenaline and that creates a momentum in effort and intensity in the players. It is also a familiar environment for the players, so that means it reduces the cognitive load. They don't have to think as much about anything else other than their play because they know the pitch, they know the routines, they feel settled.

"However, there are a couple of potential negative impacts as well, with the potential intensification in pressure in the home fans, most times, expecting dominance from the home team. That can lead to mistakes from players feeling bigger to them.

"There can then be what we call a threat state. The players might perceive consequences as high, so they feel they might be facing more criticism when they are at home."

While those who watch football know there are more factors than just where the match is being to take into consideration, the statistics do suggest the influence is there.

Since the Premier League started, the home win percentage has outweighed the away win percentage in all bar one season - the Covid-hit 2020-21 campaign in which fans were largely not allowed admission saw a 38% home win rate compared to 40% away win rate.

So how a team handles this additional crowd pressure seems to be a key factor.

"In psychology, there is something called the challenge and threat theory," Cartwright said.

"In reality what that means is a 'challenge state' can push the player into thinking, 'I've got this, I've got the resources to cope with this'. That leads to better decision making and quicker reactions.

"The threat state, on the other hand, players might think the consequences outweigh their ability to cope. In any match context, that can mean they have a narrow sense of focus, the focus is not quite the same, so the play becomes slower because of overthinking."

"It can also be called 'red brain or blue brain' - with red brain being the one with fear-based dialogue and internal negative self-talk, while blue brain is the cool, calm and collected one that can handle its emotions.

"What sits in the middle of these is distraction. How a player responds to distraction and filters out the noise, like the crowd, can impact which of these mindsets they move into and ultimately how the team performs."

Read more from Marie in part two of her chat about why teams some teams play better away from home and how it impacts managers - that will be on this page early next week.

We wanted your suggestions for Newcastle's all-time best Premier League XI.

Here are some of your picks:

Egg: 4-4-2. Given, Trippier, Botman, Woodgate, Bernard, Ginola, Tonali, Lee, Solano, Shearer, Beardsley. Attacking full-backs, solid and intelligent centre-backs, skilful, solid and box-to-box midfielders and dangerous forwards. A team full of goals and threats from all over the pitch.

George: 4-3-3. Given, Trippier, Howey, Schar, Enrique, Tonali, Lee, Speed, Ginola, Shearer, Solano. That defence and midfield would be one of the best in the league. Obviously a great attack led by our best ever player, Shearer.

Benjamin: 3-4-3. Given. Woodgate, Coloccini, Botman, Solano, Beardsley, Guimaraes, Ginola, Shearer, Cole, Isak. Typical entertainers Newcastle - you score 10, we'll score 11. Midfield full of assists and creativity. Strikers full of goals.

Mark: 4-2-4. Given, Trippier Woodgate, Botman, Beresford, Tonali, Batty, Beardsley, Shearer, Cole, Ginola. Balanced? Legs in midfield to cover. Not sure the defence is aggressive enough so I wonder about Albert for fun?

George Mills
BBC Sport senior journalist

In a recent addition of the Football Extra newsletter, Roger asked BBC Sport: Players are frequently injured on international duty - such as Chris Wood for New Zealand last season, which may have ultimately cost Nottingham Forest a Champions League place. Are clubs compensated by the country or does insurance cover compensation?'

Since 2012, Fifa's Club Protection Programme has covered the salary of players injured on international duty - although there are some conditions.

Firstly, the player must be out of action for a period of at least 28 consecutive days and the injury must have been sustained during an "accident", which is defined in very boring and legally-specific detail in Fifa's guidelines, though it covers most of the examples you could think of.

The scheme pays the salary of an injured player up to the maximum amount of €7.5m (£6.6m) until they are declared fit to return for their clubs.

Transfermarkt lists Chris Wood as missing 18 days - three games - with the hip injury you mention from last March, suffered on international duty with New Zealand. As he returned inside 28 days, Forest would not have been eligible to claim compensation.

There are a couple of clubs who will currently be beneficiaries of this scheme though, including Newcastle United, whose £55m summer signing Yoane Wissa is yet to make an appearance since suffering a knee injury while playing for DR Congo.

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It may be the international break, but there is still plenty to discuss at St James' Park with Newcastle's recent run of form putting some pressure on Eddie Howe.

So, do you have any questions about the Magpies boss' future? The tactics or formation? The January transfer window?

Our Newcastle United reporter Ciaran Kelly is here to help and will be answering a selection of your questions next week.

Get yours over to us using this form

Newcastle United are keen on AZ Alkmaar's 19-year-old Dutch midfielder Kees Smit, who is also being monitored by Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid. (Mail - subscription required), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

We wanted your suggestions for Newcastle's all-time best Premier League XI.

And you delivered!

Here's a first bunch:

Jay: 4-4-2. Given, Woodgate, Schar, Beresford, Trippier, Tonali, Speed, Ginola, Solano, Shearer, Cole. Has to be a mix of the entertainers and the team that won a cup. Up front, easy, defence more difficult!

Neil: 4-3-3. Given, Trippier, Woodgate, Howey, Enrique, Lee, Tonali, Speed, Solano, Shearer, Cole. Given for his consistency. Our defending was not great during Keegan's era, so Woodgate would support Howey. Trips for his leadership and Enrique for his pace. In midfield I revert to Lee and Speed and include Tonali from the present day. Up front, Shearer supported by two high-class wingers.

Matt: 4-3-3. Given, Barton, Woodgate, Botman, Hall, Tonali, Guimaraes, Lee, Dyer, Shearer, Robert. A modern formation with a blend of past and present in personnel. A few on the bench - Isak, Burn, Ferdinand, Trippier, Pope, Cabaye, Bellamy.

GW: 4-4-2: Given, Trippier, Howey, Woodgate, Livramento, Beardsley, Lee, Tonali, Ginola, Shearer, Ferdinand. Two unplayable centre-forwards with pace and power supplied by Ginola and Beardsley. Then, Lee and Tonali in the engine room. Two modern attacking full-backs and two solid centre halves that read the game well, in front of a top-class keeper.

Keith: 4-3-3. Given, Trippier, Schar, Albert, Burn, Guimaraes, Tiote, Speed, Ben Arfa, Shearer, Robert. Would consider Coloccini, Beardsley, Lee or Cabaye as well. These are the players that have brought me the most joy.

Linz: 4-4-2. Pope, Livramento, Burn, Albert, Bernard, Gillespie, Tonali, Lee, Ginola, Shearer, Ba. The most entertaining Newcastle teams have been all-out attack. This team would probably ship a fair few goals - but we'd always score one more than the opposition. I wish I could have included Nobby Solano!

Image source, Getty Images

On Wednesday, Uefa announced five Euro 2028 games will be held at James' Park, including four in the group stages and one in the last 16.

The matches will be played from Monday, 12 June to Sunday, 25 June.

Leader of Newcastle City Council Councillor Karen Kilgour said: "We're a football-mad city, and as Newcastle United has shown, the atmosphere at St James' Park makes it one of the most exciting grounds to play at in the country.

"Visiting fans love coming here, and we can't wait to welcome supporters from across Europe to our wonderful city."

Mayor Kim McGuinness added: "We're going to make sure we offer a true North East welcome so visiting fans can use the region as their base for the tournament.

"I want Euro 2028 to inspire boys and girls all over the North East to get into football with all the joy that brings. We're going to make this the UK's first region of sport, and that's about bringing world-class events to the North East, and the spark that can fire with our children.

"Maybe the Lucy Bronze or Dan Burns of the future will start their journey watching a game at St James's Park in 2028 and pulling on their boots for a kickaround."

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