Newcastle United are heading into one of the most highly anticipated opening fixtures of the 2026/27 Premier League season with serious concerns over player availability, as new manager Matthias Jaissle prepares for his competitive debut against Liverpool at St James’ Park.
The Magpies have endured a turbulent summer, losing several established stars while welcoming a new manager and a number of young recruits. Now, with Liverpool arriving for the opening-day showdown, Newcastle’s preparations have been further complicated by injuries and fitness concerns.
The latest team-news reports confirm Joelinton and Tino Livramento as unavailable, while Joe Willock is doubtful. Other reports have listed additional players as injury concerns, meaning the exact six-player figure depends on how “miss” is being defined.
Joelinton
The biggest confirmed absence is Joelinton. The Brazilian midfielder has suffered a groin injury and is expected to miss the Liverpool fixture. His absence is particularly significant because Newcastle have already lost major midfield figures during the summer.
Jaissle has recently named Joelinton as Newcastle’s vice-captain, making his unavailability an even bigger blow as the German begins his reign at the club.
Tino Livramento
Tino Livramento is another confirmed absentee. The right-back has been dealing with a calf injury and has not featured during Newcastle’s pre-season preparations.
His absence forced Newcastle to look for an alternative, with new signing Amar Dedić expected to take the right-back position against Liverpool. Dedić previously worked with Jaissle at RB Salzburg, giving the new manager an option he knows well.
Joe Willock
Joe Willock is another major concern. He was withdrawn from Newcastle’s final pre-season friendly against Strasbourg, with reports subsequently describing him as doubtful for the Liverpool match.
Unlike Joelinton and Livramento, Willock’s situation has not been treated as a definitive absence in every report, so supporters will have to wait for the final team news before knowing whether he has any chance of featuring.
Other Injury Concerns
Some reports have also identified *Lewis Miley, Fabian Schär, Lewis Hall and Anthony Elanga* among Newcastle’s injury concerns. Goal’s latest preview listed all four alongside Livramento and Miley as injured, although this differs from other team-news reports that have provided a shorter confirmed absentee list.
That difference is important because Newcastle’s situation has been changing rapidly during a summer of major squad reconstruction.
For Jaissle, the timing could hardly be more difficult.
The 38-year-old German has inherited a squad that has undergone dramatic changes. Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimarães and Anthony Gordon have all departed, while Alexander Isak’s controversial move to Liverpool last year continues to dominate the build-up to Sunday’s encounter.
Isak’s return to St James’ Park in Liverpool colours is arguably the biggest subplot of the entire fixture. The Swedish striker left Newcastle for Liverpool in a £125 million transfer and is expected to face an intense reception from his former supporters.
Meanwhile, Jaissle has admitted that Newcastle will not be at their peak for the opening game. The manager has had limited time to work with his new squad and is attempting to establish his tactical ideas while integrating several young players.
The manager has nevertheless urged supporters to avoid negativity and has expressed confidence in the young players available to him. He is expected to rely heavily on talents such as Bazoumana Touré, Aladji Bamba and Sean Steur, while new signing Amar Dedić is expected to make his competitive debut.
For Newcastle, the challenge is enormous. They are facing a Liverpool side beginning a new era under Andoni Iraola, while simultaneously trying to recover from a disappointing 12th-place finish last season.
Liverpool also have their own injury problems, with Joe Gomez, Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni and Hugo Ekitike among those reported unavailable.
So, while the headline claiming that six Newcastle stars are “confirmed” to miss Liverpool is stronger than the currently available evidence supports, there is no doubt that Jaissle is facing a difficult selection headache.
With Joelinton and Livramento definitely out, Willock doubtful and several other players carrying fitness concerns, Newcastle could enter their opening fixture without some important options.
And with Alexander Isak returning to St James’ Park in a Liverpool shirt, this is shaping up to be far more than an ordinary opening-day fixture.
The big question is now simple: can Matthias Jaissle overcome Newcastle’s injury problems and squad upheaval to shock Liverpool in his first competitive game?
