Newcastle United star ruled out for 36 games due to injury plus two 'major doubts' v Leicester

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Callum Wilson has been ruled out for Newcastle United for ‘around eight weeks’ following his latest injury blow.

Wilson suffered a hamstring injury in the closing stages of Newcastle’s 4-2 defeat at Brentford last weekend. It comes shortly after the 32-year-old’s return from a long-term injury that kept him out of action for around six months in total.

Wilson had featured off the bench in Newcastle’s last four Premier League matches but is now set to be out until February - should his recovery go according to plan.

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“His injury came on Saturday against Brentford, very, very late in the game,” Howe told The Gazette. “It was an innocuous moment, it wasn’t a big moment, he just felt a discomfort.

“There’s a chance that can happen again because I’d say the same to any player of any injury and any time. Injuries can sometimes strike without reason. He did it in a game and I’ve tried to manage his minutes sensibly on the pitch knowing how important he is but sometimes these things happen and there’s nothing we can do.”

The injury means Wilson will end up missing 36 matches for Newcastle in 2024 out of a possible 46 - starting just two.

“[I] really feel for Callum because we see the work, the dedication, the professionalism he's shown not just in his recovery from this injury but throughout his whole career,” Howe added. “For me, he's an inspirational player and when you're in these moments for him you have to understand how difficult this season has been for him with setbacks when it looks like he's so close to training and playing regularly to build that resilience his body needs to perform at this level.

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“He has not cut corners, he's gone through a vigorous process to keep himself fit and I'm talking about taking himself away from his family for long periods of time, dedicating himself to no distractions to seeking the best specialist opinions in the world, sometimes paying for himself. When you go to that level of dedication to give yourself the best chance to perform, when you see him not get the end result this time, I feel really sad for him.

“But I back him to come back again and have the mental resilience he's going to need to fight again and fight hard because we know his qualities and we're desperate to see him play.”

Newcastle also have injury doubts heading into Saturday’s Premier League match against Leicester City at St James’ Park (3pm kick-off). Goalkeeper Nick Pope is a major doubt with a knee problem while Joe Willock will be assessed after missing Brentford with a hamstring issue.

Sven Botman is closing in on a return but won’t be involved this weekend while Jamaal Lascelles and Emil Krafth remain out.

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“Joe Willock we haven't seen train yet but is making good progress,” Howe added. “He's carried a knee injury this week. Initially, we thought it was nothing but we're seeking some specialist opinion today and we'll see how he is.”

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