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00:00In hospital at this moment in time, without prying too much into his obvious private medical history,
00:05what are you able to tell us is the latest situation and how he's doing?
00:09Obviously he's not been well this week and he was admitted into hospital on Friday evening.
00:15So, you know, everybody obviously wishes him the best and I'm sure he'll be back with us again soon.
00:21Is he able or has he been able to have any input into the build-up to today's game
00:26and will he have any input into the match as it unfolds?
00:29I think when you've been ill all week, it's very difficult to have the kind of input that I'm sure he would normally have.
00:37But with the way we work, we know the expectations.
00:40We've got a fantastic group of players, they know the expectations and the demands
00:43that the manager and everybody else will put on them.
00:47So it's important that they go out and deliver the performance that the manager will be proud of.
00:52The week started very well for you at Leicester.
00:54You now have two huge home games.
00:56The target quite clearly is to secure Champions League football.
01:00How big is the magnitude of what lies ahead of you starting today?
01:05Yeah, of course, we've had a good week, so to say.
01:08You know, a really positive result away at Leicester.
01:11We know the expectations, we know our goals, we know what we're trying to achieve.
01:15And every game is so important, especially when you come into the money end of the season, as they say.
01:19Only eight games remaining, so it's important we deliver a performance that hopefully helps us and takes us one step closer to our goal.
01:26Jason, I appreciate it. Please send our best to Eddie and his family.
01:28Will do. Thanks very much.
01:32Roy, as far as Eddie Howe's absence is concerned, does that make a difference, do you think, on match day?
01:37I understand in the week, if he's not there, it makes a difference.
01:40But in this moment?
01:41Yeah, I think it does. I know they've got a lot of momentum at the club at the moment.
01:44They feel good factors there, and they're playing a United team that aren't obviously great at the moment.
01:48But you certainly feel your manager not being there.
01:50But they're an experienced group of players.
01:52Obviously, he's got some staff there who are vastly experienced.
01:55So you hope the players and the staff can get the job done.
01:58But it is a loss to him.
02:00Obviously, fingers crossed, hopefully he's OK.
02:03But you certainly would prefer your manager to be in the top club, no doubt about that.
02:08Les, from one Newcastle striker to another, thoughts on Alexander Isak,
02:12who's started well at Newcastle, but this season seems to be the one that he's really come into his own.
02:17Yeah, you know, I've said on numerous occasions now, for me, one of the best strikers in Europe at the moment,
02:22and obviously being courted by a lot of people.
02:25And I say take that as a compliment, because if you've got one of the best people, you're going to want him.
02:29I like his movement. I like the fact that he can hold the ball up, bring other people into the game.
02:36And he's got that most important ingredient, he scores goals.
02:39And for me, that's what's needed here.
02:42And that's why he's been courted after and he's spoken about so highly here.
02:46Consistency has been the watchword for Eddie Howe in terms of team selection at Newcastle.
02:50But plenty of changes, as we mentioned earlier, for Ruben Amarin.
02:54Five of them being made today, including that big one in terms of Andre Onana
02:58dropping out of the squad by India and making that debut.
03:02And then they've got young Harry Amass making his first start in any competition for Manchester United.
03:07So big changes from him. Let's hear from Ruben Amarin with David Craig.
03:12Ruben, we must start with your team news today.
03:15You said that obviously you were having to look at making changes with what's coming up on Thursday.
03:20But the big change that people will focus on is in goal.
03:24No Andre Onana in the squad today.
03:26Was that a decision that you would have had to have made anyway with these recent issues rather than just on a rotational situation?
03:35No, of course you have to see the context.
03:38But it's a normal thing.
03:39Sometimes you have to push the player to play again.
03:42Sometimes you have to let them disconnect a little bit.
03:45But tomorrow he's going to be in training to prepare the next one.
03:48So I felt that was a good time for Andre to disconnect.
03:53It's been a difficult time for him on and off the pitch.
03:56How has he taken the news?
03:58I think it was OK because I explained and then you don't need to like, but you understand because I explained every situation.
04:08So it was a normal situation.
04:10You have to manage everything.
04:11Sometimes people just look at the physical aspect.
04:14The mental aspect is really, really important.
04:16And it's just one game.
04:17So we will give an opportunity to Altai because he deserves it also.
04:20And then, again, tomorrow is a new life and we will prepare the next one.
04:26Two big moments for Manchester United players today.
04:29Altai Bendia, first Premier League start.
04:31Harry Amas, first Premier League start.
04:35What confidence do you have in both of those players, particularly young Harry Amas, just 18 years of age?
04:40I think he's doing the right things.
04:42I know that is a tough match for him.
04:44But like you said, we have to look at the context.
04:46We need to give opportunities to these young kids to understand and maybe to think in the next season.
04:53Then we have to rest some players.
04:55And Patrick changed completely his life in January.
05:00He's doing all the games.
05:02So sometimes it's hard on him.
05:04And then we think about rotation.
05:06And we want also to have fresh legs in this game because they run a lot.
05:10And we are prepared for it.
05:12Roy, it's always a difficult decision, a more difficult decision, to drop a goalkeeper than it is in an outfield player.
05:19Ruben Amorim has said here it's only for one game.
05:22And that while Andrean Arna might not like it, he understands it.
05:25What's your thoughts, not just on the decision, but on how Amorim's handled this big test of him?
05:30Well, it's not been easy.
05:30Again, your goalkeeper's a huge position.
05:32You'd want to be rotating him.
05:34When this goalkeeper's had an opportunity, I think he played Spurs earlier, he made a mistake himself.
05:38But I think the manager's made it clear here, it's for one game.
05:40And I think that's not a bad idea.
05:41He's hardly going to come up with a new goalkeeper with such a big game coming up later in the week.
05:46But if you're Newcastle's point of view, you're looking at this goalkeeper thinking,
05:49can he get up to speed?
05:50You get some shots away very early on him.
05:52But it's, no, he's a decent keeper.
05:54But I agree, I think it's good to give the keeper a couple of days off, recharge the batteries again, physically and mentally.
06:00And no doubt in my mind, like the manager just said, he would play during the week in Europe.
06:03Because that's a huge game for him.
06:04It is going to be a huge game for Manchester United.
06:07But it's a difficult one to negotiate for a manager, to try and keep the confidence of Ananis
06:12so that he's ready to come back in against Lyon in midweek.
06:15But at the same time, give him a bit of time away.
06:17Yeah, I imagine he would have had a conversation about it.
06:19As the manager said, he might not like the decision.
06:22So in that conversation, he's probably said, no, I want to play.
06:24But he felt this was the best time to arrest him.
06:27No player wants to be dropped.
06:28No player wants anyone to take their position.
06:31But I think he understands it.
06:33He says, you're back in on Monday and we start again.
06:35And as a player, that's what you've got to get on with.
06:37I'm saying that, I think I could do the drill he was just doing.
06:40He's not getting exactly tested, is he, that warm-up.
06:42I could do that myself.
06:43Maybe it's just a bit of confidence building in the early stages.
06:47And in terms of confidence, actually, that's going to be crucial for young Harry Amas,
06:51who's got a real opportunity here.
06:53And Amarim has shown that he is willing or maybe his hand is forced in terms of playing young players.
06:59Yeah, I suppose.
07:00And he's had a taste of it, I think, pre-season.
07:01He's obviously been in and around the first team.
07:03But usually when you give a young player a debut, this nine times out of ten,
07:06it's at home against lesser opposition.
07:08So he's actually throwing them into deep end.
07:10They're coming to a new cast.
07:11They were flying, trying to get in the Champions League on the back of winning the trophy.
07:15So it's a big board of confidence.
07:16So good luck to the kid because he will be tested, no doubt, today.
07:19And that's the problem, Les, isn't it?
07:21You're bringing players in to make, whether it's a full Premier League debut
07:24or, in Amas' case, that a first start in any competition for Manchester United.
07:30And they're asking it to do it against a Newcastle side whose tails are up.
07:33Fire it, Mum.
07:34Yeah, you know, normally you've been in that position
07:36and you want to bring a young player in when the team's playing really well
07:39and so that he comes in.
07:41And even if he doesn't have a good game, at least the team can carry him along.
07:45You know, this Manchester United team's not playing well
07:47and he's coming into what you'd call a struggling team
07:50against one of the better teams in the division at the moment.
07:52So, as you say, you know, good luck to him and, you know,
07:56But I think he was in around the first team.
07:57Well, thank you.