EDDIE Howe told of his delight at Nick Pope's return to action for Newcastle United - and played down Fabian Schar's injury against Chelsea.

Schar was forced off during the first half of the 1-1 draw with Mauricio Pochettino's side overnight, and while Howe admitted it was obviously a concern, he doesn't think it's a serious issue.

"We think he's OK," said the head coach.

"He's saying he's got tightness in his hamstring but doesn't think he's pulled any muscle. It's certainly a concern but we hope with a few days rest he might be OK."

One big positive for Howe was the return of Pope, who made his first appearance since having surgery on his finger at the end of last season.

Newcastle opted for Pope to go under the knife as soon as Champions League football was secured last term, so the England stopper missed the final day of the season at Stamford Bridge.

He played the second half against Chelsea overnight in the United States, replacing Martin Dubravka at half-time.

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Howe said: "At the back end of last season he missed the Chelsea game knowing he'd have the operation on his finger. We knew that needed operating on as quickly as possible.

"He's been desperate to get back but we've had to take our time with him. He performed exceptionally well in the second half, made a number of key saves. I'm delighted he's back, he's such a big player for us."

Pope confirmed that he came through his return unscathed.

The keeper said: "All good, I really enjoyed being back on the pitch. Leicester feels a long time ago so being back out there, I really enjoyed it."

Explaining why he needed the surgery, Pope said: "I was having a number of dislocations on the same finger. I had to get it stabilised to stop it happening. It stayed in the socket tonight, so we're one for one."