Newcastle manager Eddie Howe is hopeful over Joe Willock’s latest injury but says it “didn’t look great on the pitch” when the midfielder was stretchered off during a friendly at South Korea’s Suwon World Cup Stadium on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old appeared to signal he had a serious ankle problem during the Magpies’ 1-0 defeat to a makeshift K League 1 team in their third loss in 11 days.
“At this moment, it doesn’t look like a major, major injury,” added Howe, who did not have an immediate update on Willock. “Fingers crossed it’s not, because Joe has suffered enough. Hopefully he’s OK.”
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Joe Willock injuries
Having joined Newcastle from Arsenal in 2021, Willock missed more than seven months of the 2023/24 season with hamstring and achilles tendon injuries.
The former England youth international missed more than a month of the 2024/25 campaign with three separate issues.
Willock has started all three of Newcastle’s pre-season matches so far, losing 4-0 at Celtic on July 19 and 3-2 to Arsenal eight days later.
Newcastle vs K-League XI: Isak and goals absent
New signing Anthony Elanga sent a shot over the crossbar in front of more than 27,000 fans in Suwon before Kim Jin-kyu collected Lee Dong-kyung’s pass and slotted in the 36th-minute winner.
Five minutes after half-time, substitute goalkeeper Kim Kyung-min made a close-range save from 21-year-old William Osula, who is yet to start a Premier League game and is leading the line in Alexander Isak’s absence.
Isak, who contributed 27 goals and six assists in 42 appearances in all competitions last season, has not joined his club’s trip to Asia with a purported injury concern and interest from Liverpool.
New signing Seung-Soo Park – a highly-rated 18-year-old South Korean forward – impressed his new club and his many admirers in his homeland after coming on in the 82nd minute.
Howe: Newcastle ‘faded’
“During pre-season games, you want the tougher examinations,” said Howe. “You want the opposition to be of a really good level.
“The game was really high-intensity, quick restarts from both teams. We would have got a load out of that physically, which is what preseasons are for.”
“You could tell [the opposition] have that sharpness and possibly the experience of playing in this heat as well. They’re two huge factors.
“Our performance got better in the second half. That was a really pleasing thing. In the first half, we started really well. Then we faded a little bit in terms of our attacking intent.”
“We knew today would be really difficult. The most important thing is to come through and be ready for [the Premier League]. I can’t highlight that enough.”
K-League XI vs Newcastle: Hosts ‘excellent’
K League coach Kim Pan-gon, who is boss of Club World Cup also-rans and reigning Korean champions Ulsan, was impressed by how his players had performed with short-notice tactics.
“We only had [Tuesday] to explain our game plans to the team and have a brief rehearsal, and the players did an excellent job,” he said.
“I realised just how smart and talented our Korean players are. Newcastle applied really good pressure early, but our players handled that really well.
“That’s one of the strengths for our Korean players. They must have been really encouraged by the way they played today.
“This must have been a big confidence boost. I hope they can make the World Cup and play at an even higher level there.”
Anthony Gordon: ‘It’s been difficult’
Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon called the experience “really good for the team”. “They’re mid-season and you could tell,” he said of the all-stars.
“They’re so sharp. The heat’s a killer. I hate saying results in pre-season don’t matter that much but the reality is we’re here for fitness and to get better.
“It’s been difficult because we haven’t been able to train and there’s a lot of travel, so to get through it is top.
“[The heat is] so much harder than back home. I’m hesitant to say it but losing is not too much of a deal.
“We haven’t really had a full training week since the internationals has been back. Sleep has also been very difficult.”
Newcastle pre season fixtures 2025/26
August 3 vs Tottenham (Seoul)
August 9 vs Atletico Madrid (H)
When does Newcastle’s 2025/26 Premier League season start?
Newcastle’s opening trip to Aston Villa is on Sunday, August 17 at 12:30 BST.
The game against the Villans, who Newcastle pipped to a place in this season’s Champions League, will be shown live in the UK on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate.
