'He's close': Eddie Howe hints Newcastle are now on the verge of getting a 'massive' injury boost

Today at 03:35 AM

Newcastle United have once again had a mixed start to the Premier League season, with the Magpies sat ninth in the standings.

Eddie Howe’s side fell to a surprise 1-0 defeat at home to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, with Alan Shearer critical of how Anthony Gordon performed at St. James’ Park in what was a must-win game for the Toon.

With Eddie Howe’s side losing even more ground in the race for European football, a loss at home to a side that Shearer and Chris Sutton both predicted Newcastle to beat is the last thing supporters wanted to see.

Yet Howe has now issued a promising injury update surrounding one Newcastle player.

Callum Wilson close to Newcastle return at last

Speaking to the press, the Newcastle manager revealed that Callum Wilson is close at last to returning to action, with the attacker yet to feature for the Magpies this season having picked up a hamstring problem.

With Wilson’ injury taking longer to recover than Newcastle officials expected, the England international has been a big miss for the St. James’ Park side given how consistent his goalscoring has been over the years, yet a return is now on the horizon for the striker.

Howe said on Wilson’s fitness: "He's close. He’s trained and looked really good, but collectively we have to make a decision on the long term interests of Callum. What we don’t want to do is push him too early, so let’s see how he does this week. It will be massive [to have him back].

“You could see [vs Brighton], if we had a fit and firing Callum Wilson available, in any sense whether that’s starting or coming off the bench, it will have lifted our performance. Not just the player, but the character of the player and the leadership qualities he possesses. He’s been a big miss."

Could this be Wilson’s last season at Newcastle?

With Brentford and Fulham reportedly interested in signing Wilson with Newcastle having the funds to bring in a replacement should the former AFC Bournemouth star leave for a new challenge, there’s a real chance that this season could be the striker’s last on Tyneside.

Indeed, Wilson’s injury record has been a constant talking point amongst Newcastle fans, with the centre-forward simply unable to keep fully fit despite his incredible record when on the pitch and leading the line for the Toon.

And with Newcastle constantly evolving, Wilson leaving at the end of this season could be beneficial for all parties, especially with the Magpies in need of competition for Alexander Isak who is fit enough to play on a regular basis.