Slowly but surely, the cavalry is returning for Newcastle United.
While Eddie Howe remains without a host of players for Newcastle’s clash with Wolves in the Premier League on Saturday, there are finally options in his squad.
Jacob Murphy, Harvey Barnes, Alexander Isak and Joe Willock have all returned recently. Nick Pope, meanwhile, is not thought to be far off.
Another big boost has been the return of Elliot Anderson. Big things were predicted for the 21-year-old this season and he was hailed as “brilliant” Kieran Trippier during the club’s pre-season tour of America but injuries have limited him to only 13 appearances across all competitions.
Anderson was back to take a pressure penalty against Blackburn in the FA Cup on Tuesday night but Howe has stressed caution when it comes to his comeback.
Newcastle injury news: Elliot Anderson latest
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Friday (via The Chronicle), Howe said of Anderson: “He is technically fit but maybe not in the condition we need him to be to play regularly. We have to nurse him back and look after him.
“He’s been a huge miss for us because of his versatility. When you miss him and Joelinton at the same time, a lot of the versatility in the squad goes.”
Elliot Anderson: Newcastle star must prove he’s worth the hype
There was huge excitement about Anderson in pre-season but things have been fairly slow since. Clearly, he can do little about such a bad injury and Howe is wise to temper expectations upon his return.
Still, Lewis Miley’s rapid-fire ascension into a first-team player has proven young players can shine even in an otherwise difficult season.
While there’s no suggestion Anderson is playing for his future of course, it would be a major boost to see him start delivering on the obvious hype.
Going forward, he could be a huge player for the club. Using the rest of this season to get back up to speed could be the best thing for him long-term.
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