Chris Wood is reportedly in line to start for Newcastle United against Leicester City following injury concerns over the likes of Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak.
According to the Daily Mail, the New Zealand international is the favourite to lead the line against the Foxes on Boxing Day, with Wood recently scoring a penalty against Rayo Vallecano in a mid-season friendly for the Magpies.
The news will come as a surprise for Newcastle supporters, with 90min recently claiming that the former Burnley star is one of the five players in Eddie Howe’s squad likely to be sold, with Wood only scoring two goals this season in all competitions.
However, given Newcastle’s injury problems heading into the festive period, Eddie Howe might have no choice but to start Wood against Leicester, with the risk of rushing Wilson or Isak simply too great to even consider in the coming weeks.
Indeed, whilst the January transfer window will give Newcastle the chance to add to their striking ranks, keeping Wood might be a wise idea given how experienced the Kiwi is in the Premier League and how concrete the forward’s role in the squad is.
Moreover, Newcastle’s goals have been shared throughout the entire team, and for Wood, the attacker’s style of play could help bring in the likes of Miguel Almiron, Joe Willock and Joelinton more into the fray, with the trio already impressing this campaign.
Chris Wood could stake massive Newcastle claim against Leicester
Wood’s time with Newcastle has been underwhelming, to say the least, yet the New Zealand international has played a role in the Magpies’ incredible rise under Howe in the last 12 months, and the striker could make a big statement against Leicester.
After all, the forward has the quality to impress in the Premier League, and against a team like Leicester, Wood could make a big claim to leading the Newcastle attack with a big performance against the Foxes.
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