Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, and Micah Richards revised their pre-season forecasts for each Premier League team. After the final international break of the year, the Premier League resumes until the winter break in early January.
Newcastle United presently holds the seventh spot in the standings and will face a resurgent Chelsea at St. James’ Park on Saturday. Despite injuries, Eddie Howe’s squad is anticipating the return of some players for the clash, with Alexander Isak’s participation uncertain.
The Magpies concluded the two-week break with a disappointing loss to Bournemouth, exacerbated by injuries to Sean Longstaff and Miguel Almiron. However, Almiron is expected to be available for the upcoming match against Mauricio Pochettino’s side. The team is also facing challenges in the Champions League, sitting at the bottom of Group F after a 2-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund.
During The Rest Is Football podcast, hosts Lineker, Richards, and former Newcastle striker Shearer provided mid-term assessments of the season. All three initially predicted Newcastle to finish fifth but still qualify for the Champions League under UEFA’s revised format. However, Lineker deviated from his earlier prediction, foreseeing a drop to the Europa League due to recent injuries and a challenging period.
Lineker expressed concerns about the numerous injuries and the concurrent demands of the Champions League, suggesting that Newcastle might struggle until the tournament resumes next year. Shearer acknowledged recent setbacks in the league and Champions League but maintained optimism, pointing to the Carabao Cup as a potential avenue for redemption. He stuck with his original prediction of a fifth-place finish.
Richards concurred with Lineker, predicting that Newcastle would secure a spot in Europe but not in the Champions League.