Eddie Howe hints that 24-year-old Newcastle player could actually start vs Blackburn

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Newcastle United did not have much to celebrate on Saturday night against Arsenal.

It was a pretty rotten performance from Eddie Howe‘s side, and the game certainly did not live up to the billing. While the reverse fixture was a battle, this was so one-sided it was frightening.

Arsenal were absolutely dominant, while Newcastle were limp.

However, the return of Joe Willock was reason for optimism. He made his comeback from an Achilles problem, and looked really lively off the bench.

The 24-year-old even marked his return with a goal, and it will hopefully be the beginning of a sustained run of fitness in black and white.

Eddie Howe was delighted with what he saw from Willock, and is now debating whether or not the midfielder is ready to start Tuesday night’s game away to Blackburn Rovers.

Eddie Howe delighted with Joe Willock’s return

Ahead of facing Blackburn, Howe spoke to the media. He was asked about Willock’s comeback at the weekend.

“I was delighted with Joe’s return,” he said.

“I thought he looked really good when he came on. He scored a typical Joe Willock goal which was great to see.”

Howe was then pushed on if Willock could actually start against Blackburn in the FA Cup on Tuesday night.

He told the Chronicle: “It’s a difficult one. I’ll discuss at length with him. He’s done a lot of work behind the scenes to get himself into this position.”

Would be great to see Joe Willock start vs Blackburn

If he feels fine then this could be a great opportunity for Howe to reintroduce Willock into the Newcastle starting XI.

Our midfield has been much worse without him, which is why it is so exciting to finally have him back. We have massively missed his athleticism, and we immediately looked better when he came on against Arsenal. However, that was not too difficult given how poorly we were playing.

But Howe will be wary of overexposing Willock. He will not want Willock to break down again, like he did earlier this season after recovering from his first injury.

It is a delicate situation for Newcastle, and one that Howe is going to consult Willock on. He knows his body best, and will know if he is ready to start a game as important as Tuesday night’s FA Cup tie.