Newcastle’s head coach, Eddie Howe, indicated that striker Anthony Gordon would likely favor featuring as a central offensive player instead of his accustomed position on the left flank.
At 24 years old, Gordon has secured a spot on the left flank for both his team and national squad since his transfer to St James’ Park.
During the week, he had the opportunity to feature as the most advanced player and excelled versus Qarabag, netting four goals before halftime, thereby becoming Newcastle’s top scorer in the UEFA Champions League.
Given Yoane Wissa’s injury and Nick Woltemade’s strong performance in an attacking midfield role, Gordon might realize his desire to spearhead the attack versus Manchester City this Saturday night.
Howe remarked: “Each athlete has a favored playing position. He would likely choose to operate centrally and spearhead the offense, as it grants considerably more latitude.
“Ant possesses excellent attributes in such a role, particularly his vigorous pressing and his grasp of opportune moments is paramount.
“His display truly pleased me. Achieving [10 Champions League goals] was a significant accomplishment for him. Occasionally, such feats are confined to a single tournament, and I am confident he will aim for further scores in different contests.
“However, the Champions League has undeniably brought out his finest form, and may this trend persist.”
Newcastle will confront Manchester City for the fourth occasion this season on Saturday, with an upcoming fifth fixture in the FA Cup.
Following their arduous journey eastward earlier in the week, Howe anticipates some weary players, yet also an enhanced showing after their recent string of strong road performances.
He further stated: “Our return was quite late, approximately 4 AM upon arrival, possibly even a little later, in fact.
“Consequently, rest was problematic, however, I believe they had a restful sleep last evening, with one more night’s sleep remaining, thus, we hope to be in good condition by kickoff.
“We trust that numerous positive outcomes will stem from our recent away victories. Three challenging matches in themselves, yet our displays have been quite impressive, and individual efforts have shown significant improvement. As a team, we have performed considerably better.”