The news keeps getting better for Newcastle United at the moment.
What’s the latest Newcastle United news?
Unbeaten in seven games and putting daylight between themselves and the scrappy relegation battle below, Eddie Howe has completely turned things around.
Most impressively, the upturn in form has come without some of the team’s key players. Callum Wilson hasn’t played since December while Kieran Trippier and Allan Saint-Maximin have missed the last two games. The former, of course, will be out of action for the foreseeable future, while the latter has been suffering a knock since the win over Aston Villa last month.
Saint-Maximin’s absence has been widely discussed. Indeed, so much so that Luke Edwards had to shoot down a suggestion there was anything untoward going on behind the scenes when a rumour spread that the 24-year-old had refused to travel down to West Ham on the coach after Storm Eunice had wrecked their fight plans.
What’s the latest injury update on Saint-Maximin?
Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, the Frenchman posted a video of his recent trip to France – believed to have been sanctioned in an attempt to aid his recovery – with the caption “I’M BACK @NUFC”.
Clearly, that’s a huge boost for Newcastle but it’s important not to get too excited. The Chronicle has previously claimed the club aren’t willing to take a risk on their star forward, so the idea of rushing him back seems hard to believe.
Saturday’s opponents Brighton aren’t exactly in great form themselves and could be missing key defender Adam Webster, affording Howe the chance to approach the situation with caution. With a busy schedule ahead, perhaps it would be wise to continue starting with Jacob Murphy rather than rush Saint-Maximin back.
To even consider that prospect, which previously would have been almost laughable to most supporters, speaks to the rapid-fire improvement Howe has coaxed from his players.
