CALLUM WILSON and Kieran Trippier are both closing in on a first-team return with Newcastle United – but neither player is guaranteed to make the squad for Monday night’s home game with West Ham United.

Wilson has been sidelined since breaking down in pre-season with a combination of hamstring and back problems. The striker has stepped up his training programme during the international break, but will need to come through the next few days unscathed in order to feature in the squad that will face the Hammers.

The same is true of Trippier, who has been absent for more than a month-and-a-half because of a hamstring issue, and who has also been back out on the training pitches in the last fortnight.

“Callum is doing well,” said Howe. “We anticipate that he’s going to train with the group today. Whether he’s quite there for West Ham, there’s a chance he could be involved, but we need to get through the next few days in training first.

“The most important thing is that when Callum does come back, he’s in a good place to contribute to make a difference. We know his importance, for a host of different reasons. He’s obviously at a delicate stage of his return because we’ve got to manage the last parts correctly. He’s such a valuable player, but we need to learn from previous issues that we’ve had and try to keep him on the pitch.

READ MORE:

“Kieran is slightly closer than Callum, I’d say. He trained yesterday, and trained well and felt good. There were no ill effects, and he looked sharp, but that was his first day’s training, so again, we’re in a similar position that right at the end of the rehab, you’ve got to navigate the last few days well.”

Emil Krafth has also suffered a major injury setback, having suffered a broken collarbone that required a bout of surgery during the international break.

Krafth is expected to be absent for around two months, with his absence coming at the same time as Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles remain unavailable as they continue their respective recoveries from cruciate-ligament injuries.

To exacerbate Newcastle’s centre-half issues, Dan Burn is unavailable for Monday night’s game as he serves a one-match ban after picking up his fifth booking of the season in the win at Nottingham Forest that preceded the international break.

“Emil has had an operation,” confirmed Howe. “We anticipate he’s going to be out for around six to eight weeks. That’s a big blow for us to lose Emil, who’s been such a consistent performer.

“He will continue his rehab, and Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles are continuing on their paths. Apart from that, we’re okay.”