Harvey Barnes has revealed he is relishing the opportunity to replace Anthony Gordon in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.
The £38million man would almost certainly have been on the bench against Liverpool had it not been for Gordon’s red card in the 2-1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion. But instead, he finds himself pushed into the limelight with a worldwide audience tuning in for the Wembley showpiece.
Barnes warmed up for Wembley with an assist in the 1-0 win at West Ham and potentially got a string of missed chances out of the way ahead of Sunday. Speaking after the slender win, Barnes told reporters he was keen to make an impact this weekend.
When asked about stepping in for Gordon, Barnes said he was far from daunted: “No. No, I think every player in the squad is ready to step in whenever. We have a very competitive squad here and we know that.
“It’s not just injuries, but form dips, whatever it is, somebody’s always there ready to step in and do a job. We’ve got full confidence in the whole squad. So, for me coming in, it’s another game and I just know my job that I’ve got to do.”
Barnes picked up a thigh injury causing him to be withdrawn against Bromley in the FA Cup third round. It caused him to miss the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal and interrupted what has hardly been a write off of a season for the one-time England international.
The 27-year-old has actually netted five times this season and weighed in with a couple of assists. With 10 Premier League games left and a cup final, he could easily brush up on that tally and end the campaign strongly.
Barnes – who floated in a cross for Bruno Guimaraes to get the winner in Stratford – reflected on those thigh issues and said: “Yeah, it’s obviously been a difficult season. So, it was just nice to be back out there.
“I enjoyed being out there from the beginning in the Premier League against West Ham. It’s been a while. And then, probably personally, I think it’s a nice confidence boost going into the weekend to get a good amount of minutes and be involved in the goal and have a few nice moments. So, no, it was a good day.
“I have come back from injury well. It’s obviously tough when you haven’t been playing week on week. So fitness-wise, you’re building that up every game. But I felt good out there today. I felt nice and fit and strong.”
Newcastle’s win over West Ham lifted the Magpies back to sixth place and level with Man City who are sitting in a Champions League place. Looking back on the victory over the Hammers, Barnes said: “It was a great result for us. It wasn’t the prettiest game, but we found a way to win. I think that’s important. Obviously, it’s the start of a big week for us.”
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