Newcastle’s Left-Back Situation: Targett to Fill Hall’s Boots

Newcastle United is preparing to play Liverpool in the League Cup final, but the team will likely be without several important players.

Anthony Gordon is suspended for the match due to a red card against Brighton, and Lewis Hall is out for the rest of the season after a foot injury sustained in the Liverpool game in February.

The absence of Hall, a full-back, is a significant concern for manager Eddie Howe.

Lewis Hall’s Injury Setback

Before his foot injury, Hall had played in almost every Newcastle game this season, only missing one. His injury will keep him off the field until the 2025/26 season.

The 20-year-old Hall has been a consistent performer for Newcastle in the Premier League this season. He has created five significant scoring opportunities and averages 1.3 key passes per game. He’s also a successful dribbler, completing 61% of his attempts, making him a valuable attacking player.

Defensively, Hall wins 54% of his duels and makes 2.1 tackles per game in the Premier League. His absence is a major blow for Howe.

Matt Targett is the natural replacement at left-back. However, the question is whether Howe made a mistake by letting go of a potentially better option in the January transfer window.

Was Lloyd Kelly a Hall Replacement Already Sold?

Targett has had limited playing time this season for Newcastle, with only four appearances, and just one in the Premier League.

Hall’s injury might give Targett a chance to become a regular starter for the rest of the season.

Injury problems also affected Targett last season, limiting him to just seven games for Newcastle in all competitions.

In January, Howe allowed Lloyd Kelly to join Juventus on loan, with Juventus obligated to buy him for £20m this summer.

Kelly only played 14 times for Newcastle before his move, but he has already played six games for Juventus.

Former Bournemouth manager Gary O’Neil praised Kelly as “incredible.” Kelly is a versatile defender who can play both centre-back and left-back. He could have filled the gap left by Hall’s injury.

In his first three Serie A matches for Juventus, Kelly has achieved an 88% pass accuracy, kept two clean sheets, recovered the ball four times per game, and won 4.7 duels per game.

These are impressive stats considering his quick integration into Serie A. Howe might regret letting Kelly go in January, although Hall’s long-term injury was unexpected at the time.

Now, Targett needs to perform well, especially if Newcastle hopes to win the League Cup and secure their first major domestic trophy in almost 70 years.