Newcastle United head coach Matthias Jaissle will welcome back several first-team players for Monday night's trip to Coventry City, but one crucial issue remains unresolved: the search for a centre-forward replacement for Alexander Isak.
The Sky Blues have lost both their home Premier League matches without scoring a goal while conceding six. Hull City, promoted alongside them, edged through 1-0, while Brighton won 5-0 in front of Coventry's own fans. Overall, Coventry have lost four of their five games back in the top flight for the first time in a quarter of a century, though they arrive boosted by a 1-0 victory at Nottingham Forest.
Before that win, Coventry's last victory among the elite came when a John Hartson header saw off Sunderland in April 2001.
Returning players boost squad
Newcastle welcomed the longer-than-usual international break because it allowed a flood of first-team players to regain full fitness and return to the fold. From old heads Joelinton and Dan Burn, still to play for the new manager, to the likes of Will Osula, Nico Gonzalez, Jacob Ramsey, and Amar Dedic, the hope is that all will be declared available for team or bench. Anthony Elanga may not be ready, and Tino Livramento is definitely out, but it remains a significant windfall.
Some would be re-introduced as substitutes because of a lack of match sharpness, but Jaissle faces a welcome selection dilemma. The international break also brought worries: while Lewis Miley ought to be all right, cover keeper Ewen Jaouen will have a lengthy spell on the sidelines because of a hamstring tear suffered with the French Under-21s which requires surgery. Nick Pope can continue to deputise on the bench as he did before the break.
Centre-forward dilemma remains
United still haven't solved the centre-forward replacement for Isak. It cannot be Nick Woltemade, who hasn't got the tools, but the question remains whether it is Yoane Wissa, Matias Fernandez-Pardo, or Will Osula, who is on his way back. Jaissle is prepared to put two in harness by using a No 10, giving everyone an extra chance of selection.
United have two lightning road runners in Osula and Pardo and a wily experienced international in Wissa. Three into two doesn't go, so United need to take advantage of any Coventry fragility.
Shared history and promotion contrast
Jacob Murphy, who has had more loans than you can get from a local high street bank, spent one of them at Coventry immediately before joining Newcastle. He signed for them in August 2015 on a season-long loan which was highly successful, bringing him 10 goals in 42 games. Other well-known names have played for both clubs, including Mick Quinn, Killer Kilcline, John Tudor, Callum Wilson, Kenny Sansom, and Stuart Pearce.
Coventry won promotion for the first time in years as the most powerful juggernaut in the Championship, given unstoppable power and direction by a rejuvenated Frank Lampard. However, having arrived in the promised land, they have faced a new reality while fellow promoted Hull City and Ipswich Town have both won more and zipped ahead of them.
Lampard is a big name trying to permanently establish a big reputation as a manager. Jaissle is someone nobody over here had heard of before Eddie Howe decided he was drained and demoralised, but he is threatening to win a new army of admirers. It will be a fascinating comparison: the superstar international player vs one whose playing career was over by the age of 25 due to injury.
