Eddie Howe reveals he left Jamal Lewis out of Newcastle United's Premier League squad

Lewis missed out on a place in Newcastle United’s 25-man squad along with Ciaran Clark and Isaac Hayden. Howe signed five players, among them left-back Matt Targett, before last week’s transfer deadline.

Asked about Lewis’s omission, head coach Howe said: “Jamal has been struggling with a long-term groin injury for probably the last year. He’s been fit, but not 100% fit.

"So he’s gone away the last few weeks and tried to get that groin right. He’s had a hamstring problem as well recently. So I felt with Jamal not being 100% fit to play, and Paul Dummett getting injured against Leeds, that we needed to sign a recognised left-back, and that mean then that, just with the numbers of the squad, that he had to miss out.

"As I say, he’s not been quite right, and I felt that was the right decision.”

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