Eddie Howe now says £10m Newcastle player who’s going to play even less has really improved

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Newcastle United’s attacking options massively improved on Monday.

That is because Eddie Howe was able to welcome Callum Wilson back from injury. The 32-year-old made his first appearance of the season, coming off the bench during Newcastle’s 2-0 defeat to West Ham.

While the result was very disappointing, it was great to have our number nine back. Hopefully this will be a sustained spell of fitness, with Newcastle delaying Wilson’s return to ensure he does not suffer another setback.

With midweek fixtures looming against Liverpool and Brentford, Wilson’s return is a timely one. He will provide Alexander Isak with the support he needs, with Callum Wilson set to push the Swede for a place in the starting XI.

Eddie Howe shares update on Will Osula’s progress

But while Wilson’s return is excellent news, it is not a positive for Will Osula.

The £10million summer signing has struggled for minutes since his arrival from Sheffield United, and could suddenly play even less now that Eddie Howe has Wilson in reserve.

But the Newcastle United manager has insisted that Osula is one for the future, admitting in his pre-match press conference that the 21-year-old has shown real signs of improvement as of late.

“I think Will has been excellent behind the scenes,” he said.

“I think there’s always a process a player has to go through, especially when they sign, as in Will’s case, so young with a lot of work ahead of him to get to be the player that he eventually wants to be,” he said.

“But he’s really committed to that work. I have to say he’s been excellent. He’s really embraced the coaching side of our work.

“He’s worked really closely with Graeme Jones, with myself, Jason [Tindall], Stephen [Purches], Simon [Weatherstone]. Different people at different times. I think we’ve seen a real growth in his performance.

“Now he’s competing against two outstanding experienced centre forwards but he’s got a big part in our future.”

How much Will Osula has played so far for Newcastle United

Now that Wilson is back from injury, Osula is very much the third choice striker at St James’ Park. You could even argue he is fourth choice, as Anthony Gordon started ahead of him earlier in the season when both Isak and Wilson were injured.

So far, Osula has made six appearances for Newcastle United. He has started just once, with that being the Carabao Cup third round tie against Wimbledon.

In the Premier League, Osula has been limited to late cameos, with seven minutes the longest he has played. That was in the 3-1 defeat to Fulham.

Those limited minutes came when Osula only had to compete with Isak. But now Wilson is back, which means it will be even more difficult for him to feature.

However, that is not a major concern. As Howe says, Osula is a player for the future. Newcastle know Osula is raw, but they are happy with the progress he is making.

He could probably benefit from more regular minutes, which is why Newcastle are considering loaning Osula out. That would do him the world of good, but it would put a lot of pressure on Wilson to stay fit.