Eddie Howe to be in Newcastle dugout for Arsenal game after Covid recovery
Newcastle United's new head coach, Eddie Howe will be in the dugout for the first time at Arsenal tomorrow, after returning a negative Covid Test this morning.
Howe tested positive on Friday the 19th of November and subsequently missed last weekend's home game against Brentford, but his symptoms have now been traced back to before that date, meaning he meets the NHS 10-day isolation guidelines.
The news was confirmed shortly after his assistant, Jason Tindall, gave this morning's pre-match press conference.
Tindall revealed his long-time friend had been unwell at the beginning of this week but has improved significantly since.
He said: "You're always worried when someone's got this virus because you know what the potential outcome could be.
"But I was in daily contact with him four, five, six times a day not only talking football and talking preparations for training, but also talking to see how he is and to see if there's anything he needs to help him recover quicker".
Tindall tested positive for Covid himself earlier in the year.
He said: "You feel very up and down. One minute, you feel like you're okay and all of a sudden, it just knocks you for six and you just need your bed and you just need to rest and you need to sleep.
"He's been a little bit like that. Certainly the early part of the week when he was feeling at his worst, he was sleeping a lot, he was resting a lot.
"In terms of sickness and bad headaches and that sort of stuff, he wasn't really feeling that, but I know it took it out of him physically, for sure."
Despite his illness, Howe was still able to play a full part in preparations for the game at the Emirates Stadium, in which Newcastle will once again go in search of a first win of the campaign at a ground where they have lost on their last nine league visits, with the help of technology.
Tindall said: "He sees training back every day - we video training every single day from multiple angles. That will then be sent to him in the afternoons.
"He will review that back, as will we as coaches, go through it, analysing the detail within that session and then feedback what's necessary to the players the following day.
"Eddie has been a big part of that. He's a very hands-on manager-coach and he's had that influence throughout the week in terms of the preparations for Arsenal."