Newcastle will be Lewis Hall for their Premier League match against Chelsea on Monday night as they are ineligible to face their parent club.
Hall joined the Magpies in August on a season-long loan with legal buyout liability and has played in every competition this season. The 19-year-old left-back has been a staple on Newcastle’s bench this season, with the likes of Dan Burn and Tino Livramento favoured through Eddie Howe.
Newcastle will sign Hall on a permanent basis at the end of the campaign, having agreed to pay Chelsea £28m at the end of his loan, with an additional £7m in potential add-ons. For Howe, regulations prohibit him from betting against them.
Premier League regulations mean Hall is ineligible for the match, even though he was on the bench during the Carabao Cup quarter-final match between the two teams at Stamford Bridge in December. At the time, Newcastle had to get written consent from Chelsea, who were allowed to give them the green light under EFL regulations.
His absence is unlikely to be a major blow to Howe, who has left Hall on the bench for the last six Premier League games. Only 4 of Hall’s 11 appearances this season have started and he hasn’t played since a brief appearance. in a 3–2 loss to Manchester City on 13 January.
However, Newcastle are confident that he will do well and are satisfied with shelling out £35m for his services. Asked on Friday if Hall’s permanent signing was “done” this summer, Howe replied: “Yes, I think so. That’s why. ” I’m preparing for him to be here for the long haul and I’m very happy about that because he has a lot of qualities that we’re looking for. As far as my thinking is concerned, I’m preparing for Lewis to be at Newcastle for many years to come. He was recruited with a long-term vision, not a short-term signing.
“We’ve believed in him and his quality and we’ve worked very hard with him on his game. He’s a really talented guy. He has a few things to keep working on, like all players. I believe in him. My vision: “For him, he will stay at Newcastle for many more years. “
Newcastle comes into the match in tenth place in the Premier League, four points ahead of Chelsea, who have a game in hand. A win for the Magpies would see them leapfrog West Ham, Brighton and Wolves to seventh.
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