Dwight Gayle is still a couple of weeks away from fitness, according to Chronicle journalist Mark Douglas.
The 28-year-old, who spent last season on loan at West Brom, has yet to feature for the Magpies so far this term, but is expected to be given a role under new manager Steve Bruce.
And Douglas has suggested that his inclusion is still some way off.
Writing in a piece for the Chronicle, he said: “With him still on board, Bruce is desperate to utilise the former Newcastle number nine but he’s not yet ready to re-join his teammates and could be a couple of weeks away.
“United could do with the option of Gayle.”
OPINION
Up until now, there have always been questions over Gayle’s ability to cut it as a Premier League striker. There has been a suspicion for some time that he is too good for the second tier, not quote good enough for the top flight. Now, however, is the time for him to disprove that theory. Last year, he was the driving force behind a West Brom side that arguably deserved to get promoted, scoring 24 goals at a rate of 2.4 shots per game, as per Whoscored. If he can come anywhere near that record this term, then he will certainly be a key player for the Magpies. Joelinton will be first choice presumably, Andy Carroll is an option too, but the former has already shown that his finishing needs some done tuning, and the latter likely to suffer an injury at some point this season, Gayle could yet prove to be a very useful option for United.
