Injury problems have meant that Eddie Howe hasn’t been able to name what fans would perceive as his ‘best XI’ this season, but that hasn’t impeded their performances on the pitch so far this term. An unbeaten October followed an unbeaten September with the Magpies currently sat in third place heading into the final game ahead of the Qatar World Cup.
What has made this even more remarkable is they have done this without Allan Saint-Maximin and Jonjo Shelvey being available for large parts of the campaign. Club-record purchase Alexander Isak has also spent a large period of time on the sidelines with Callum Wilson only now coming back to full-fitness after injury worries of his own.
But when are Newcastle’s current injured stars expected to be back in-action? Here, we take a look at the expected return dates of Newcastle’s injured stars and what Eddie Howe has said about their rehab progress.
9. Callum Wilson
Wilson was substituted against Southampton but missed the game with Crystal Palace in midweek through illness. Injury problems have plagued his season and Howe is yet to make a decision on whether Wilson will feature against Chelsea. Howe said: "We’ll wait and see. He’s been training separately from the group. He had an illness, so he’s been away from the group. He’s been working well, but I need to make a decision on whether he’s fit enough to play.” Photo: Stu Forster