Not many of Newcastle United’s summer signings have worked out just yet.
Indeed, while Newcastle surely could not have seen Sandro Tonali’s ban from football coming, it wasn’t as if the Italian was showing a particularly consistent level of performance before that.
Though Tino Livramento has clearly been a success, Lewis Hall has faced a real struggle in banking regular first-team minutes.
Then there’s Harvey Barnes.
Brought in for £39m over the course of the summer, the 26-year-old has made just eight appearances this season and missed almost the entirety of Newcastle’s Champions League campaign due to injury.
There could, however, soon be light at the end of the tunnel.
Harvey Barnes: Newcastle injury latest
Speaking on Friday ahead of Saturday’s clash with Manchester City, Eddie Howe confirmed Barnes was gearing up for a return, having returned to light training.
“Harvey is getting closer,” he said (via The Chronicle).
“He hasn’t been training with the group, but he’s been running on the grass with his boots back on and he’s been kicking balls around.”
Harvey Barnes injury latest: Newcastle star needs to hit the ground running
Newcastle are pretty strong on the left wing as it is, with Anthony Gordon at one point tipped as one of the Premier League’s standout players.
Alexander Isak and Joelinton are also capable of operating there, offering Howe options.
Still, Isak is not without injury worries, while Joelinton is surely better used in midfield. Gordon, meanwhile, has looked tired in recent weeks.
With that in mind, Barnes could do with hitting the ground running. While that may not be overly realistic given how long he’s been out, Newcastle need it to be the case.
At some point, we need to see why the club decided to sign Barnes.
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