Chelsea vs Newcastle United latest injury news as five miss out & £20m star in contention to return

Newcastle United travel to the capital to take on Chelsea in the first of back-to-back meetings between the two sides in what already looks to be a season-defining period of football.

The Magpies have failed to score in their last two Premier League matches and will be looking for a fresh lease of life in attack as they seek their first victory in four games after draws against Everton and Manchester City as well as costly defeats to Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion. As it stands, Eddie Howe’s team are five points adrift of fourth place Aston Villa and two points behind Chelsea in sixth.

Injuries were Newcastle’s achilles heel throughout last season but after failing to qualify for any form of European competition the overall depth of the squad is now beginning to look in much better shape. With that in mind, we take a look at the latest injury news from inside the Newcastle and Chelsea camps ahead of what promises to be an intriguing Premier League battle at Stamford Bridge.

Newcastle United injury news

- Lewis Miley: Teenage midfielder Lewis Miley is finally back in contention to play for Newcastle United after a seven-month absence with injury. He was named on the bench against Brighton last time out and is hoping to get back onto the pitch at the ground where he made his debut at 17 in May 2023. Miley’s last game for Newcastle also came at Stamford Bridge in March during a 3-2 defeat. The game saw Miley register his third assist of the season and his second against Chelsea.

- Callum Wilson: Has been sidelined throughout this season with a combination of back and hamstring injuries. The England international, who has scored the second highest amount of goals in the Premier League era for Newcastle has returned to training over the international break and has looked sharp but Eddie Howe is still assessing whether the forward is ready to be thrown back into competitive action.

- Sven Botman: The defender teased Newcastle supporters earlier this month with an update on his injury recover which suggested he would return ahead of schedule. However, Eddie Howe told the Gazette that the Dutchman is unlikely to return to at least another two months and has claimed that he won’t be seeing him in full training until after the November international break. “The reality is that we’re probably looking more towards Christmas time.” Howe told the Gazette.

- Jamaal Lascelles: Jamaal Lascelles suffered an ACL injury back in March and was given a six to nine month return time. Lascelles is thought to be slightly behind Sven Botman in his rehabilitation process and should return at the start of 2025. “In terms of my recovery from my ACL injury, I'm well over the worst now,” Lascelles told the Gazette. “I should be back on the grass soon and jogging in the next few weeks.”

- Kieran Trippier: Eddie Howe recently confirmed that former England defender Kieran Trippier would be out for at least a few weeks with a hamstring injury. An exact timeline on the 34-year-old’s return has not yet been set but it is not thought to be a serious issue.

Matt Targett: The left-back missed almost the entirety of last season with a combination of hamstring and achilles tendon problems. He has been named in the matchday squad on occasion this season but was recently ruled out because of an eczema flare up. Targett failed to make the squad last time out against Brighton and it is not yet clear if he is back in contention.

Chelsea injury news

Reece James: Chelsea introduced club captain Reece James back into the starting line-up for the first time this season in a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool. The right-back was given less than an hour of action before being subbed off as Enzo Maresca explained: “For James and Romeo (Lavia), it was 45 minutes to one hour maximum. I was a bit afraid to give them more minutes on the pitch.”

Romeo Lavia: After missing five weeks with a hamstring injury, Belgian youngster Romeo Lavia also returned to the Chelsea line-up at Anfield. Like James, he will be eased back into the action by Maresca but is in contention to start the game.

Omari Kellyman: The £19m midfielder that was signed from Aston Villa is still waiting for his Chelsea debut after sustaining a hamstring injury. No timeline has yet been set on the youngsters return to action.