Eddie Howe's Newcastle United injury update on two players – and new Premier League squad addition

The Newcastle United defender, sidelined since Christmas with a heel injury, has started some ball work after being cleared to start running again.

“He’s running,” said Howe. “He’s early stages of ball work, and out on the grass, which is a great thing for us to see. He’s a huge player.”

Howe revealed this week that another defender, Javier Manquillo, was facing several weeks on the sidelines with an injury.

“He’s just got a ball on the end of his foot, which has twisted his keen slightly,” said United’s head coach. “It’s a strange mechanism. He’s been away in Spain, and had a couple of injections. I think he’s back here tomorrow, and we hope from there we can build him up quite quickly.”

Meanwhile, Emil Krafth had surgery early this season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in a Carabao Cup tie against Tranmere Rovers.

The defender was left out of Howe’s 25-man Premier League squad for the first half of the season along with goalkeeper Mark Gillespie.

However, Manquillo and Gillespie have been named on the club’s revised list for the second half of the campaign after spaces opened up following the departures of Chris Wood, Jonjo Shelvey and Karl Darlow in last month’s transfer window.

Asked if Krafth could play again this season, Howe said: “There’s a very slim chance. I wouldn’t hold too much hope of seeing him before the end of the season.”