Eddie Howe reveals why he left Sean Longstaff out of his Newcastle United squad

The midfielder – who has made one appearance for Newcastle United since Howe took charge last month – was not even on the bench at the King Power Stadium, where the relegation-threatened club was beaten 4-0.

However, 24-year-old Longstaff comes back into Howe’s “thinking” for tonight’s game against Liverpool at Anfield.

Asked why Longstaff was not involved against Leicester, Howe said: "It was a selection decision. Sean comes back into my thinking for this game. He’s certainly a very talented individual, and a player I really believe in, in terms of his attributes – and what he can deliver for the team. With the competition we had for places at that time, he missed out.”

Longstaff – who broke into the first-team squad during Rafa Benitez’s time as manager – is in the final year of his Newcastle contract.

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