Howe accepted it had been a tough week after Lewis Hall was ruled out of the rest of the season and Anthony Gordon was banned for three matches, including the Carabao Cup final

Newcastle’s preparation for the Carabao Cup final has been disastrous so far, with Sven Botman set to undergo knee surgery and fellow defender Lewis Hall having already been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a foot injury sustained against Liverpool last month that also needs an operation.

Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak limped off in their last match against Brighton & Hove Albion but manager Eddie Howe played down fears of an injury and has said the Swede should be available for the League Cup final against Liverpool.