Three potential striker solutions Eddie Howe must consider ahead of Leeds vs Newcastle clash
Eddie Howe is facing a selection crisis as he prepares his side to travel to Leeds United without a recognised striker.
Howe has been left in the lurch due to Anthony Gordon’s red card and the ongoing saga linking Alexander Isak to Liverpool.
In Isak’s stead, Gordon has been filling in as a centre-forward, a role that isn’t best suited to the 24-year-old, who operates better out wide.
However, due to Gordon’s red card in their match against Liverpool on Monday night the England international is due to miss three games for Newcastle, leaving Howe with a selection conundrum.
William Osula as a striker
The first option for Howe is to remain with his 4-3-3 shape that the Englishman has deployed to Newcastle’s benefit in large parts of his reign at St. James’ Park.
This option would see Harvey Barnes and Anthony Elanga keep their preferred wide positions and young William Osula fill in as a striker for Howe, similarly to how Gordon has done.
Osula did well when he came on against Liverpool, showing a good forward’s instinct to steal in behind the visitor’s high line to poke home an equaliser for the Toon Army.
The young Dane has played 16 games since joining the club in 2024 all from the bench, but as an attacking shortage looms, he may be in for his first start soon.
Opt for Anthony Elanga and/or Harvey Barnes as a striker
The outcome of this option would be similar to the outcome of a decision to play Osula as a number nine.
Playing Barnes or Elanga as a nine would limited each respective player’s strengths of running the channels with their pace across long stretches.
One situation that could accommodate both players as strikers would be both playing as split strikers in a pair, with Jacob Ramsey as a box-crashing number 10 behind them.
This would allowed Elanga and Barnes to run the channel while also possibly solving Howe’s selection crisis in midfield after both Joelinton and Sandro Tonali left the game against Liverpool with injuries.
| Name | Injury |
| Sandro Tonali | Shoulder |
| Fabian Schar | Head |
| Joelinton | Groin/hip |
| Joe Willock | Calf |
| Anthony Gordon | Suspended |
Force through a striker signing ahead of the weekend
Howe’s final option, and one that the Newcastle hierarchy have been trying to push for throughout the summer, makes the most sense long term.
No one can fault Newcastle for trying to sign a number nine, with bids for Brentford’s Yoane Wissa and Wolves’ Jorgen Strand Larsen both being turned down recently.
The club were also rebutted by Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko who both opted to join Manchester United instead of Howe’s side.
Newcastle may still mount another pursuit for Strand Larsen, with interest in Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic also being reported.