Newcastle United latest news: Eddie Howe’s side face Burnley at Turf Moor in the Premier League tonight.

Newcastle United will not have the services of Will Osula available to them until the new year as he continues to be sidelined by an ankle injury.

Osula began the campaign as the Magpies’ senior striker until the arrivals of Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa. He was then used as a rotation option behind the German international whilst Wissa was sidelined with a knee injury.

However, Osula has not been seen in action since their defeat against West Ham at the London Stadium at the beginning of November. An ankle injury, one that he played through during the first few weeks of the campaign, has kept him sidelined ever since and is expected to remain that way until the new year.

When asked about a potential return date for Osula, Eddie Howe said earlier this month: “We need to have further discussions internally to see quite what's happening with his ankle, because it's not going in a straight line.

“We're not quite happy with how he's feeling, so I'll try and give you some feedback when we get it.”

Howe then confirmed that Osula is one of a number of players, alongside the likes of Kieran Trippier, Emil Krafth and Sven Botman, who are expected to return to action in January. With games against Crystal Palace and Leeds United to play in the Premier League before they get their FA Cup campaign underway against Bournemouth on Saturday 10 January, Howe will be desperate to have those members of his squad back and fit so he can rotate his options.

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However, it does mean that Osula won’t make the trip to Turf Moor tonight. Howe could rotate between Wissa and Woltemade, meanwhile, although he stressed that the former is not yet ready to start matches on a consistent basis as he continues his recovery from injury.

“The problem for us is with our schedule playing every three, four days, I don't think he's in a condition where he could start regularly at the moment,” Howe said about the DR Congo international. “But hopefully we can manage him to that point at some stage.”

Will Osula transfer update

Whilst Osula was an important rotation option for Newcastle United during the first few months of the season, things could have been so different for the Sheffield United man had he left Tyneside on deadline day. Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt were interested in a move for him, but a transfer collapsed in the final hours of the window.

Aston Villa had also reportedly shown interest in Osula during the final days of the window, but with that move not progressing either, Osula remained a Magpies player.

However, reports from Sky Sports Germany insist that interest from the Bundesliga side has not gone away ahead of the January transfer window with reporter Florian Plettenberg claiming that the player has ‘an agreement’ over a move should the two clubs come to an agreement themselves.

He posted on X: ‘Eintracht Frankfurt and Newcastle are continuing negotiations over a loan deal with a purchase option for William #Osula. The 22 y/o striker wants the move, is in agreement with #SGE and is waiting for the clubs to reach an agreement. #NUFC.’