Eddie Howe warns Newcastle not to underestimate Manchester United

Coach Eddie Howe has warned Newcastle United players that their recent superiority against Manchester United holds no significance at Old Trafford.

In preparation for the 18th round match of the Premier League, coach Eddie Howe and his team are not only preparing seriously and determinedly, but he also issued a stern warning to every Newcastle United member. He emphasized that Newcastle's recent dominance over Manchester United will not provide any advantage. It’s best for Newcastle’s stars to forget about it and focus fully on performing their best against the Red Devils.

Despite facing many squad difficulties, Newcastle United travels to Manchester boasting an impressive record, having won 5 of the last 6 encounters between the two clubs across all competitions since their loss in the 2023 Carabao Cup final.

Regarding the upcoming match, Howe stated: "We have had good results against MU recently, but that means nothing for this game. This is a completely different contest. They have improved and are playing with great determination. Even in their recent loss to Aston Villa, I saw a strong performance from Manchester United. This club is very dangerous regardless of their current situation."

Manchester United faces a crisis with Bruno Fernandes’ serious injury. Those close to him revealed that Bruno Fernandes was clearly limping when he went out with friends on Monday night. When asked if he would recover in time for the Boxing Day match against Newcastle, Fernandes gave a response that left fans both worried and sad: “No”.

The 31-year-old midfielder is expected to miss upcoming home games against Newcastle and Wolves, away matches early in 2026 at Leeds and Burnley, the FA Cup third round tie against Brighton, as well as the Manchester derby at Old Trafford on January 17. When Manchester United visits Arsenal on January 25, that might be the time Bruno Fernandes returns. This is the first long-term injury absence for the Portuguese midfielder at United. Besides Fernandes, MU is also missing several players like Amad Diallo and Mbeumo due to their participation in AFCON 2025.