Three board members leave & illness is hitting the squad

Peter Silverstone, Newcastle's Chief Commercial Officer, has been placed on gardening leave and will leave the club after three years. His departure is part of a 100-day internal review led by new CEO David Hopkinson, who replaced Darren Eales earlier this year. Silverstone is expected to take up a business role at Juventus, marking a return to continental football.The review has already led to two other senior exits: Paul Mitchell, former sporting director, was replaced by Ross Wilson. Darren Eales, former CEO, officially departed in October.Manager Eddie Howe confirmed that a sickness bug has affected several players ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Athletic Club. Bruno Guimaraes, the team captain, is a major doubt after missing training. Other affected players include: Sandro Tonali, Jacob Murphy, Kieran TrippierHowe stated: “He’s such an important player for us but he’s clearly not been himself and that’s why he missed training today.”Newcastle are preparing for a Champions League home match against Athletic Club. The illness outbreak and recent injuries (e.g., Tino Livramento and Yoane Wissa with knee issues) could significantly impact squad selection.This podcast has been created and uploaded by Newcastle Fans TV, the views in this podcast are not necessarily the views of talkSPORT. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.