A thumping win for Newcastle United over Leicester City saw Ruud van Nistelrooy’s brief honeymoon period come to a halt on Saturday.
Picking the bones out of this one, we present our latest Gameweek 16 Scout Notes.
POPE INJURY TIMELINE CONFIRMED
Nick Pope (£5.0m) was flagged as an injury doubt for this game by Eddie Howe in Friday’s pre-match press conference. Later on the same day, media reports suggested he could be out for a month.
The Newcastle boss confirmed both the injury and the timeline after Saturday’s win over Leicester.
“He saw the specialist and the feedback is that he’s going to be out for around a month, so bad timing for us and for Nick because there are a lot of games in that four-week period.” – Eddie Howe, via the Independent
Martin Dubravka (£4.2m) looks set to be between the sticks for the next four Gameweeks at least, then.
£4.0m LEICESTER ‘KEEPER?
Leicester have their own concerns over a first-choice goalkeeper.
Mads Hermansen (£4.5m), who has been quietly impressive this season, came off with groin discomfort at half-time on Tyneside.
“When Mads comes off, then it’s an injury. He felt a pain in the groin, so he couldn’t continue. We have to assess what it’s like.”
“Well he couldn’t really tell [if it was serious]. He was just certain he couldn’t continue the game. He didn’t want to make it worse. We have to assess. Hopefully it’s not too much. But of course, he doesn’t come off like that.” – Ruud van Nistelrooy, via the Leicester Mercury
Sound the £4.0m goalkeeper alert! Danny Ward (£4.0m) was brought on as a replacement at half-time – a name that many FPL managers will be familiar with.
Don’t get too excited, mind. Even if the injury is serious:
a) it’s Leicester, who have kept one clean sheet all season and conceded 34 goals in the process
b) last season’s deputy Jakub Stolarcyk (£4.0m) is reportedly back on the grass after injury
c) van Nistelrooy could make a move in the January transfer market
“Let’s wait and see what the problem is first. There’s no need to jump to conclusions on the January window based on this injury.” – Ruud van Nistelrooy, via the Leicester Mercury
As many Leicester fans will tell you, the drop-off in quality from Hermansen to Ward is significant too.
Above: Mads Hermansen is the leading goalkeeper for expected goals prevented (xGP) in 2024/25
HALL HAUL
Lewis Hall‘s (£4.5m) clean sheet, two assists and maximum bonus award helped him to a 15-point haul, a tally no defender has bettered this season.
It’s been a long time coming. He’s joint-third among defenders for chances created this season, even ahead of the likes of Antonee Robinson (£4.7m), yet he only had one assist to show for it before Saturday.
If a haul was going to arrive, it was going to be in Gameweek 16. Leicester City’s big two weaknesses have been conceding goals from their right-hand side and allowing a league-high number of chances from set plays.
Above: Lewis Hall’s five key passes in Gameweek 16
Hall was involved in the set-piece opener that Jacob Murphy (£4.9m) scored, then provided a headed assist for Bruno Guimaraes’ (£6.1m) goal from a free-kick.
He was to be awarded the assist for Alexander Isak‘s (£8.7m) 50th-minute strike, too. A deflected cross from the left fell kindly for the Swedish striker, the touch not deviating the pass from its intended destination/target (six-yard box/Isak) in FPL’s eyes. The deflection did, however, massively help Newcastle’s in-form striker reach it.
Alex Isak scores again! 🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/sdXd1jpeya
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) December 15, 2024
Hall is second only to Robinson for defender transfers in this week.
As a longer-term pick, there are few £4.5m defenders as attacking as the Newcastle left-back. You’d question how many clean sheets will arrive in the next four, however:
MURPHY’S APPEAL ASSESSED
After four attacking returns in two Gameweeks, there’s also a bit of interest in Jacob Murphy (£4.9m).
He should have scored long before he did on Saturday, with three other great chances – besides his brace – arriving over the hour he was on the field.
You can see the appeal: a sub-£5.0m route into a Newcastle attack that has suddenly rediscovered its mojo, scoring nine goals in three matches.
But Murphy’s problem has always been the same: expected minutes. He’ll be prominent in the team so long as he’s playing well. As soon as that doesn’t happen, he’s a convenient scapegoat when Howe responds to a defeat with starting XI changes. Others, like Bruno, have been allowed more sub-par showings this season without the risk of demotion.
Even in form, there’s a busy fortnight coming up (thanks to Legomane for the below image) and you’d expect a benching within that:
Anthony Gordon (£7.2m) isn’t even immune to rotation: he had a fatigue-affected benching as recently as Gameweek 15.
The winger has started to look more like his 2023/24 self in recent weeks, however, claiming an assist on Saturday.
Isak, of course, is the main man. Callum Wilson (£6.9m) is going to be out for (another) two months, further boosting his expected minutes. Howe could even afford the luxury of taking him, as well as Murphy and Gordon, off early on Saturday with the game won.
While the next few matches aren’t great from a defensive perspective, there’s more hope for the Magpies’ attack. It’s Ipswich next, while Villa are without a clean sheet away from home and Spurs are in a sorry defensive state.
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