Joe Willock

Newcastle United midfielder Joe Willock (25) Newcastle United midfielder Joe Willock (25) has been confirmed by manager Eddie Howe to be sidelined for four to six weeks with a calf muscle injury, ruling him out of the start of the 2025/26 Premier League season

Willock sustained the injury during stoppage time of a pre‑season friendly against a K‑League XI in South Korea, when he was stretchered off following a challenge late in the match. Initial fears pointed to a potential Achilles problem, but those were thankfully dismissed: Howe clarified that the damage was isolated to a calf muscle, not the Achilles tendon, deeming it less serious than initially feared

🎙️| Eddie Howe “We initially feared he could have injured part of his Achilles, but thankfully that wasn’t the case. But it looks like he's got a problem with a muscle in the calf. So we feel the injury isn't as serious … early diagnosis is looking four to six [weeks] … probably much better than the initial thought.”

As a result, Willock is expected to miss Newcastle’s opening fixtures: away at Aston Villa on 16 August, the home opener against Liverpool on 25 August, and the Leeds United match on 30 August. A return in early to mid‑September is possible—potentially featuring in the home fixture versus Wolves on 13 September (Source: Craig Hope, Daily Mail)