Newcastle's Eddie Howe gives verdict on Chelsea's recent transfer recruitment plans
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Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe was full of praise for Chelsea's recruitment policy, which he believes will benefit them long-term, ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash.
Chelsea's recent transfer strategy in recruiting the best young talents from all over the world is quite noticeable, especially considering they also have the youngest squad in the Premier League this season.
Of course, Chelsea still rely on the more experienced players, such as Robert Sanchez (28), Marc Cucurella (27), Trevoh Chalobah (26), and Reece James (26), but their younger players they have brought in have also made an impact.
Howe believes Chelsea will reap the benefits in the future.
"I think they're progressing and continuing to get better," Howe said in Friday's press conference when speaking about Chelsea.
"There's been a lot of change at Chelsea over recent seasons. They've gone very youthful with their recruitment, and I think long-term, you'll definitely see the benefits of that.
"A very good manager, style of play, and team.
"It's a short recovery time for us, a big challenge this week, but we're looking forward to that.
"We like the early kick-offs, so anything we can do to help swing this in our direction is important."
Speaking about his team's preparation ahead of Chelsea's visit to St James' Park, Howe confirmed that Tino Livramento will not be available to face his former club due to a knee injury.
His fellow former Blues, Lewis Hall, however, could be in contention to play.
"He could be (available for tomorrow)," Howe said about Hall.
"He felt some fatigue in his hamstring after the Sunderland game, so he had a scan, which didn't reveal too much, so we'll see."
Meanwhile, Chelsea are also without several players, such as Estevao (muscular) and Liam Delap (shoulder), Dario Essugo (thigh), Romeo Lavia (muscular), and Levi Colwill (knee), who are still nursing injuries.
Estevao and Delap, in particular, are hoped to make their return for next week's home fixture against Aston Villa.
Gerry Crisandy is a freelance writer who has covered Chelsea for many years. His work has been published on The Chelsea Chronicle and Pride of London. He grew up idolising Michael Ballack and is a firm believer in expected goals.