Newcastle United forced into last-minute U-turn v Southampton as Eddie Howe provides training ground update

Newcastle are currently booked on a flight from Newcastle Airport to Southampton on Friday afternoon but Eddie Howe admitted that those plans could be scrapped due to Storm Eowyn. Several flights out of Newcastle Airport on Friday morning have already been cancelled.

“We'll see how today goes,” Howe said. “Our plan, as always, is to travel today, but we'll seek advice from the authorities at the airport and everyone involved on whether it's safe to fly.

“If it's not, we could end up travelling tomorrow morning.”

Newcastle could end up travelling down on Saturday morning or even resorting to a coach to make the country-long commute to the South Coast.

“It is a long journey, and also there's no guarantee with the wind and the conditions,” Howe added. !And what you think might be an eight, nine-hour journey might turn into a 12, 13-hour journey, so we've got to be careful, I think, in that respect, so I think it's probably best that we look to do that.

“But nothing is guaranteed. We'll seek advice and try to make the right decision.

“I don't think it changes too much, to be honest.I think we've done it before ourselves. We've travelled on the day for a 5:30pm kick-off, especially if the airport's close to the ground and sometimes that's the easiest way, you're in and you're out.

“Through a 3 o'clock kick-off, that's slightly unusual, but it's something we just have to adapt to. I don't see an issue with it.”

Newcastle’s training on Friday will also be impacted by the weather with the indoor facilities an option.

“Well, it is slightly windy, I have to say,” Howe smiled. “I struggled to get in a second ago.

“I think hopefully we can find a place that is sheltered enough so the ball doesn't deviate too much and we can actually train normally.

“We do have a dome that we use, but it's whether that's safe because that's the strongest winds I've ever seen here or felt here. So, fingers crossed we can train normally.”