Newcastle United's players have their day off cancelled

Eddie Howe didn’t give his players a day off after yesterday’s 2-1 win over Brighton and Hove Albion because of the club's hectic schedule. Newcastle are preparing for a run of three away games in eight days, starting with a fixture against Southampton on Thursday.

Asked if his players would be in today, Howe said: “Yes we are. We’re in tomorrow. We know the schedule’s jam-packed full of games, and we need to be physically ready for each test.”

Newcastle beat Brighton thanks to early goals from Ryan Fraser and Fabian Schar, and the result stretched the gap between the club and the relegation zone to seven points.

“I saw the players in the dressing room afterwards and it’s a good sign. They’re pleased, but they’re not over the top in how they are feeling. They know we are still in the midst of a very important spell.”

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