Eddie Howe to miss first Newcastle United game due to Covid-19

Eddie Howe will miss his first game in charge of Newcastle United after testing positive for Covid-19.

The assistant head coaches Graeme Jones and Jason Tindall will instead be in the dugout on Saturday when the Magpies face Brentford in their first match back since the international break.

The new manager tested positive on Friday which means he will also miss the next fixture against Arsenal as he must now isolate for the 10-day period.

"I am very disappointed that I will not be there with you all at St James' Park tomorrow, but it is incredibly important that I follow guidelines and self-isolate.

"I would like to reassure everyone that I feel fine, and while this is unwelcome news for me, I know it has not derailed our preparations for what is an important game," Howe said in a statement.

Newcastle United currently sit 19th in the Premier League table and are five points from safety following the opening 11 games.