Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has sparked plenty of discussion with his decision to leave star forward Anthony Gordon on the bench for the second consecutive match—and he's making no apologies for it, citing a focus on the bigger picture.

The England international, who has been the subject of formal interest from Bayern Munich, was an unused substitute in Newcastle's 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest on Sunday, following a similar role in the previous fixture against Brighton. While Gordon missed defeats to Arsenal and Bournemouth in April with a minor hip flexor issue, he has been fit enough for the squad ever since—yet hasn't seen a minute of action.

"It was tactical," Howe explained to BBC Radio Newcastle. "The team has performed well in Anthony's absence. We've gone with a bit more solidity, with Joelinton playing wide and one winger the other side, just to strengthen us defensively. Since January, we've been disappointed with our defending, so a change of structure was needed. Ant has come back to fitness, he's training well—but also, I'm looking at the future."

That forward-thinking approach was evident beyond Gordon's omission. Howe also opted not to start veteran right-back Kieran Trippier, who is set to leave the club at the end of the season, despite injuries to Lewis Miley and Tino Livramento leaving Trippier as the only fit recognised right-back. Instead, left-back Lewis Hall filled in on the opposite side, with Trippier only entering the fray in injury time for captain Bruno Guimaraes.

"We have got one eye on the future," Howe added after the match, in which former Newcastle midfielder Elliot Anderson cancelled out Harvey Barnes' opener. "That's been clear with some of the decisions I've made. We want to see some players, to see how they're going to grow into the team. Jacob Ramsey was magnificent when he came on—he really made a big difference. As did Harvey. It was great to see players step up."

For Newcastle fans, the message is clear: the present matters, but the long-term vision is already taking shape on the pitch.