Newcastle United's Defensive Concerns Ahead of Liverpool Clash
Newcastle United are counting down the days to Liverpool, and the clock is not being kind to Matthias Jaissle’s full-back options.
Less than a fortnight before the Premier League opener, Newcastle’s preseason has been chopped up by injuries and transfer noise. The new head coach is still trying to stitch together a settled back line while key pieces either rehab, recover or wait to see where they’ll actually be playing when the season kicks off.
Hall back in the frame, but questions remain
On the left, there is at least some relief.
Lewis Hall briefly left Newcastle’s training camp in Spain in early August, a move initially described as precautionary. That assessment has held up. Hall has already featured in the friendly against Everton at Murrayfield on Wednesday and, fitness permitting, should be available to face Liverpool — assuming he is still a Newcastle player by then amid ongoing transfer speculation.
Chris Waugh of The Athletic reported even before the Everton game that Hall was due back in full training on Tyneside and was pencilled in to feature in one of Newcastle’s final preseason outings.
“The trio is continuing fitness work at The Knox, Newcastle's training centre, according to the club,” Waugh noted. “Hall is set to train on Tyneside on Sunday and may return for Wednesday's friendly against Everton at Murrayfield, in Edinburgh, or for one of the two practice matches at St James' Park next weekend.”
The plan has broadly followed that script. Now the focus is simple: can Hall get enough sharpness into his legs in time for Liverpool?
Livramento ruled out of Liverpool opener
The picture on the opposite flank is far less encouraging.
Tino Livramento is set to miss the August 23 clash with Liverpool as he continues his recovery from a calf injury. The 23-year-old has been out since the problem that forced him to withdraw from England’s World Cup squad, and his return date remains just out of reach for the opening weekend.
Craig Hope and Simon Jones of the Daily Mail report that Livramento is currently in the United States, working through his rehabilitation away from Newcastle’s training base.
“The England defender is currently in the United States as he continues his rehabilitation from the calf injury that ruled him out of the World Cup,” they wrote. “He could return on the second weekend of the campaign at Tottenham.”
That schedule effectively rules him out of the Liverpool game but offers a realistic target: a potential comeback when Newcastle travel to Tottenham on matchday two, provided there are no setbacks.
Miley boost in midfield
There is at least one clear positive for Jaissle.
Newcastle expect Lewis Miley to be available for the Liverpool opener after his recovery from a broken leg. Hope and Jones report that the club are confident the young midfielder will be fit to face the Reds, handing Jaissle an extra option in the middle of the park at a time when the defensive picture is still blurred.
For a squad that has been jolted by injuries all summer, Miley’s return is a badly needed piece of good news.
Full-back depth under the microscope
Even before these latest updates, Newcastle were in the market for reinforcements at full-back. The current situation only hardens that stance.
With Livramento sidelined and Hall just returning to full training, Jaissle is staring at an opening-day assignment against Liverpool with limited depth on both sides of his defence. Any minor setback for Hall, any tweak in training, and Newcastle’s options narrow quickly.
The club had already been exploring the market for cover and competition in those areas. Now the need is sharper, the timeline shorter, and the margin for error thinner.
Newcastle look likely to walk out against Liverpool without Livramento, leaning heavily on Hall’s fitness and whatever rhythm he can build in the final preseason games. For a team with ambitions of pushing up the table, the first big question of the season is already on the board:
Can this patched-together back line hold firm long enough for reinforcements to arrive?
