Eddie Howe says that Allan Saint-Maximin remains a doubt for next Saturday's encounter against Aston Villa.
The Newcastle United winger missed out all together in the 2-1 win over Brentford due to a hamstring injury and was told to rest up. Howe does not see it being a long-term problem issue though.
Speaking after the 2-1 win over the Bees, Howe offered an update on the ex-Nice star, saying" “I don’t think it’s serious with Allan. He didn’t feel 100 per cent during the West Ham game, so we decided to scan him.
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"It wasn’t a clear injury, but we decided to scan him and it revealed a very minor problem with his hamstring. We knew pretty much straight away he wasn’t going to be available for this game."
When asked if he was a doubt for the battle at Villa Park next weekend, Howe said: "Im guessing slightly, but it’ll maybe be a couple of weeks. It’s nothing too serious, although it was a big blow because of the form Allan has been in. But again, we back the strength of the squad."
Anthony Gordon, Joelinton, Joe Willock and Elliot Anderson could all be used on the left of the front three but Gordon's reaction to being substituted late on didn't go down well with Howe.
The £40m winger was brought off the bench against Brentford but less than 45 minutes later he saw his number on the fourth official's board. Gordon reacted angrily to being removed late on but Howe insists the pair have discussed the matter and squashed it.
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