Kieran Trippier close to Newcastle United injury 'handover' as Callum Wilson steps up comeback bid

Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson will step up their work on the training pitch this week ahead of their respective Newcastle United comebacks.
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Trippier – who fractured the fifth metatarsal in his left foot in February – is close to rejoining Eddie Howe’s squad, while Wilson is working towards a return from the calf/Achilles problem which has sidelined him since late December.

Eddie Howe issued an update on the experienced pair after yesterday’s 2-1 Premier League win over Leicester City at St James’s Park.

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“I don’t think either will be involved (against Crystal Palace and Norwich City) next week,” said United’s head coach. “Maybe after those games, who knows. I’m not putting a game on it. There’s a lot of unknowns.

"Neither player has done too much on the grass, but they’re working towards that. Thankfully, we’re in a position, at the moment, where the team’s in good form, and we don’t have to rush them back. But we’ve still got enough game to go to hopefully see them before the end of the season.”

Asked what this week would look like for them on the training pitch, Howe said: “They’ll definitely be stepping it up.

"I don’t think they’ll be with us at all, so they won’t train with the group. There will be a handover period for Kieran, I think, where he’ll go with our sports science guys.

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"That might happen at some stage soon. It’s not happened yet. Both players are still with physiotherapists.”

Newcastle are 14th in the Premier League, and 12 points clear of the relegation zone, following the Leicester win.