'Good to be back' - Newcastle United forward returns after three-month injury blow - could leave in January

The 20-year-old forward had been out since picking up a knee injury early in pre-season but started for the Under-21s in the 3-0 EFL Trophy defeat at Mansfield Town. Kuol played 62 minutes at Field Mill but was subsequently left out of The Young Magpies’ matchday squad for the 3-1 Premier League 2 win over Leeds United on Friday.

Over the weekend, Kuol took to Instagram to post several photos of himself in action at Mansfield along with the caption: “Good to be back on the pitch.”

Kuol’s last public appearance for Newcastle came during the post-season friendly matches in Australia back in May. He is yet to make his competitive first-team debut for the club since joining from Central Coast Mariners in January 2023.

Kuol has had unsuccessful loan spells at Hearts and Volendam over the past two seasons and was expected to leave on loan once again over the summer but an injury prevented the move. Kuol is unlikely to feature for Newcastle’s first team in the Premier League this season with head coach Eddie Howe stressing another loan spell for the player will be ‘important’. While he has missed the opportunity to join a domestic club or a major European league on loan during the first half of the 2024-25 season as he focused on getting back to fitness, but a winter loan move remains a possibility.

Kuol’s contract at Newcastle runs until the summer of 2026.