Eddie Howe admits Anthony Gordon may have played final game for Newcastle

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gordon-anthony/EFo95m2P/"]Gordon[/a] has missed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/newcastle-utd/p6ahwuwJ/"]Newcastle[/a]'s last four games, including two due to a hip injury, as speculation mounts that the Bundesliga champions are in advanced negotiations to sign him at the end of the season.[/p][p]Asked on Friday if he had left out Gordon because he was planning for the future, Howe said:[b] "When you get to this stage of the season, part of what we will be doing we'll be looking to next year, naturally, so yes.[/b][/p][p][b]"Anthony's just come back from injury. I think the team has played well in his absence and with a partial view to the future, yes."[/b][/p][p]Howe said talks over Gordon's potential departure could be underway, but he insisted he was not part of the negotiations.[/p][p][b]"No, nothing, no updates from me. These are discussions that potentially might be happening, but not with me,"[/b] he said.[/p][embed guid="e5af6147-94d5-4d56-b580-1ae85eae64f7" url="https://x.com/NUFC/status/2054940044952272900" social-type="twitter" /][p]Howe has to decide whether to involve Gordon in the Premier League clash with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/newcastle-p6ahwuwJ/west-ham-Cxq57r8g/?mid=z1yE3oVi"]relegation-threatened West Ham at St James' Park on Sunday.[/a][/p][p]Brazil international [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/joelinton/EBZ36WE4/"]Joelinton[/a], who lined up in Gordon's left-sided attacking berth at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nottingham/UsushcZr/"]Nottingham Forest[/a] last weekend, is nursing a thigh problem.[/p][p][b]"If it's the right thing for the team - and I put the team and the club above any individual - then I would play him, of course,"[/b] Howe said on the possibility of Gordon featuring this weekend.[/p]