Eddie Howe's 'undroppable' message for Bruno Guimaraes as Newcastle boss drops team sheet hint

Eddie Howe has stated that nobody is "undroppable" at Newcastle United amid the club's five-game cold streak.

The Magpies have not won since mid-September in the Premier League and are aiming to sign off from October by booking a place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals by seeing off Chelsea. Tonight's encounter genuinely has a "season defining" feel around it for the Magpies but Howe insists his players are up for the challenge.

Howe is expected to tweak his team at St James' Park tonight with overall minutes played across what has already been a long hard season.

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But the head coach also stated that nobody is safe from the axe as he looks to address the club's slump in form. Speaking ahead of the clash with the Blues, Howe said: "No one is undroppable. I think you make a valid point on Bruno’s minutes, his travelling, he’s done a lot, he’s always been there for us so we need to make sure we manage him well and manage the other players who have had a lot of minutes well.

"We still need to produce a really strong team and win the game so I have a lot to think about between now and kick-off."

Howe is acutely aware of unrest in the fanbase after such a poor run of form, Newcastle's worst since summer 2023, but says his squad must overcome their issues. He said: “Moaning is part of human life. Everyone does it. I do it!

"It is a natural human reaction. The responsibility always lies with us to change those moans into a positive outcome and we will try in the next game.

"A lot of that will come from our attitude, our body language, our intent. The intent is to give everything to the cause, win, lose or draw. We leave nothing behind when we leave the pitch."