CALLUM WILSON and Harvey Barnes will both still be absent from the Newcastle United squad for tomorrow’s home game with Fulham, but the pair should be back in action in the next couple of weeks.
Wilson has returned to light training with the rest of Newcastle’s first-team squad this week, but will not be risked for the weekend game with the Cottagers. He could be considered for the squad for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Arsenal, although the following weekend’s FA Cup tie at Birmingham City is a more likely return date.
Barnes is slightly behind Wilson with his recovery schedule, although the winger should also be available again by the second half of next month.
“There’s no chance for this weekend, but Callum is getting there,” said Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe. “We have seen him in training this week, albeit not the whole session, but parts of it. He looked good. The plan is not to involve him in the game this week, but there’s a chance for the games following.
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“Harvey is a little bit further behind, but I think he should be back within the next two or three weeks.”
Howe’s biggest selection dilemma ahead of tomorrow’s game comes in goal, with Nick Pope having been an unused substitute in last weekend’s win at Southampton.
Pope was Newcastle’s undisputed number one prior to suffering a knee injury in December, but Martin Dubravka has impressed in his absence and has been offered a new contract beyond the end of the season.
Dubravka did nothing wrong after keeping his place at St Mary’s, and will hope to be selected again against Fulham.
“I understand the question and the intrigue about trying to get me to name a number one,” said Howe. “But I’ve always said, even when Nick was playing regularly in goal, these things are always there to be changed by the performance of the players.
“You never really want to say, ‘Well, that’s the player who plays in that position all the time’. You want them to be challenged and asked questions by the players around them. We’ve got healthy competition in there, and healthy competition in our backline, and hopefully that will serve us well.”
