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Newcastle boost as “massive” star returns

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Newcastle United have a huge fitness boost as wonderkid Lewis Miley returns to full team training ahead of the Premier League clash with Brighton and Hove Albion this weekend.

The Magpies return to Premier League action this weekend after the international break, and Eddie Howe will be hopeful that the break has given his players a much-needed rest.

Newcastle went into the break with several injury concerns which led to winger Anthony Gordon having to play a makeshift centre-forward role to cover the absence of Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson.

Long-term injury issues have also been a huge cause for concern in the summer, with Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Botman suffering significant stints on the sideline before last season even ended and have not been seen on the pitch since.

Lewis Miley has become an exciting emerging talent at Newcastle since his breakthrough, and last season proved he has what it takes to provide strong competition for the midfield in the starting eleven, with enthusiastic performances both in the Premier League and Champions League.

However, the baby-faced youth prospect has not kicked a ball competitively since the visit to the Etihad Stadium in the FA Cup tie with Manchester City and in the summer broke his metatarsal, leaving him unable to participate in pre-season, which would have been a significant blow to his progress.

Now it appears that the youngster is back with a point to prove as he was spotted in full team training this week, as the Geordies prepare to continue their efforts to progress up the table and comfortably earn a European qualification spot in the Premier League.

The official Newcastle United website posted images of a training session ahead of the clash at St James’ Park this weekend, which included photos of Miley and a short statement regarding fitness:

“Aside from Bruno Guimarães and Miguel Almirón, who featured for Brazil and Paraguay respectively in the early hours of Wednesday morning, most of head coach Howe’s charges – including young midfielder Lewis Miley, who is continuing his rehabilitation from injury – were back on Tyneside and out on the training pitch in midweek.”

When will Lewis Miley return?

There is no doubt there will be a selection headache brewing for the Newcastle boss as his midfield prodigy edges closer to a return to availability, but it will be difficult for Miley to displace Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes or Joelinton.

The midfield has comfortably been the most stable area of the pitch in performances for the Magpies this season so far, whether that be a combination of the two Brazilians with Sean Longstaff, or with Tonali who has had a slow introduction back into the centre of the pitch in recent weeks.

It won’t be until the Newcastle boss’ pre-match press conference tomorrow that we will have a clearer idea of how close Miley is to being fit to play, but there could be a great opportunity for him to return to the field in the clash with Chelsea at St James’ Park on October 30th.

The 18-year-old – who was dubbed “massive” and “a star” by teammate Guimaraes – will likely be keen to get stuck in as soon as possible, and rotating the midfield would be a responsible decision for Howe to make considering the amount of fixtures in the coming weeks.

With that being said, Miley’s return will spark excitement and a warm welcome from the supporters if he does return against Chelsea at home and would give Howe a great option from either the bench or starting in cup competitions.

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