Everton are back on the road again tonight as Frank Lampard’s side take on Newcastle United at St James’ Park.
The Toffees’ previous outing saw them lose 2-0 at Tottenham Hotspur last weekend thanks to second-half goals from Harry Kane and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
Looking ahead to tonight’s clash against the Magpies, it appears that the Merseyside club have been handed an indirect double injury boost which could have a big impact on their chances of securing a positive result.
Speaking in his latest press conference [via Football Daily], Newcastle manager Eddie Howe revealed that the attacking duo of Alexander Isak and Allan Saint-Maximin will not be available for tonight’s showdown due to injury.
With Isak having scored two goals in three league appearances for the Toon this season prior to his injury, it’s clear that he can offer a serious goal threat for them whenever he is fit. Similarly, with Saint-Maximin, he has netted one goal and provided two assists in his five league games this season.
To further highlight their attacking prowess, the duo make up two of the top three players in the Newcastle squad for the highest rate of shots on target per 90 minutes (Isak 1.86, Saint Maximin 1.27).
With the Frenchman also having more carries into the final third (18) than any of his team-mates, this shows how much of a tricky customer he can be for opposition defenders.
Taking all that into account, it’s clear that the injured pair have been two of Newcastle’s most important and effective attacking players this season, and not having them available tonight will be a massive blow for Howe’s side.
From Everton’s point of view, this can only be a good thing as not having to deal with the duo’s attacking qualities will surely be a boost for their chances of avoiding what would be a third league defeat in a row for Lampard’s side.
