EDDIE HOWE admits Newcastle United are missing Callum Wilson, but is unable to give any guarantees about the striker’s availability for this weekend’s trip to Chelsea.

Wilson has been sidelined since the start of the summer because of a combination of back and hamstring injuries.

He returned to training during the international break, but with the 32-year-old having missed the whole of pre-season and the opening two months of the current campaign, Howe is reluctant to throw him back into competitive action too soon.

His absence was keenly felt last weekend as Newcastle spurned a number of chances in their 1-0 home defeat to Brighton, with Howe only turning to substitute William Osula in stoppage time.

Had Wilson been on the bench, he would almost certainly have been introduced much earlier, but his manager will continue to tread carefully, even though the importance of Sunday’s trip to Chelsea has been heightened by the Magpies’ tumble down the table.

“He’s (Wilson) close,” said Howe, whose side have failed to score from open play in their last three league games. “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.

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“It will be massive (to have him back). You could see (against 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.”

Newcastle have been hit by a number of long-term absences in the last few months, with Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles still unavailable after they continue to recover from cruciate-ligament operations.

Sandro Tonali was sidelined for ten months because of a betting ban, and while the Italian returned to action at the end of August, his form since returning to action has been mixed.

Howe always felt it would take the midfielder time to get back to his best, but was quick to defend Tonali’s performance against Brighton even though it was criticised in some quarters.

“I think he's (Tonali) doing well,” said Howe. “I had no issue with his performance (in the Brighton game). He played very well, he's played his part in a dominant performance in the heart of the midfield.

“I'm aware of the internationals and the load they have. We monitor them closely. Bruno (Guimaraes) was getting cramp at the end, Tonali was a bit fatigued, but the changes didn't help us.”