A familiar face made a return to St James’ Park over the weekend as Jetro Willems, the former Newcastle United defender, visited his old stomping ground. Willems, who had previously joined Newcastle on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt for the 2019-20 season, shared a photo on social media, captioned “just a normal day (at my old office) #NUFC.”
The Dutchman’s presence at St James’ Park fueled speculation, with fans quickly joking about the possibility of Willems re-signing for the Magpies, especially considering the team’s current injury crisis. With Lewis Hall ineligible to play against his parent club, and both Dan Burn (back) and Matt Targett (hamstring) sidelined, Newcastle finds itself without a recognized left-back for the Premier League clash against Chelsea.
Eddie Howe, the Newcastle boss, is facing several selection challenges with a total of eight players currently unavailable. Sandro Tonali is suspended, while Jacob Murphy (shoulder), Elliot Anderson (back), Sven Botman (knee), Harvey Barnes (toe), Callum Wilson (hamstring), Javier Manquillo (groin), and Sean Longstaff are all sidelined. However, there is hope for the potential return of Alexander Isak, Fabian Schar, and Miguel Almiron.
Willems, during his stint with Newcastle, made 20 appearances and notably scored against Liverpool and Manchester City before sustaining a severe knee injury in a Premier League match against Chelsea. This injury kept him out of competitive play for nearly a year. Following his recovery, he joined German club Greuther Furth as a free agent in August 2021 before returning to Holland with Groningen. Currently under contract at Heracles Almelo, Willems’ visit to St James’ Park stirred curiosity among fans about the possibility of him rejoining the squad.
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