Eddie Howe believes there is still time for Callum Wilson to earn a place in England’s squad for the World Cup in November. A thigh injury has dictated that the Newcastle centre-forward has not been named in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the Nations League games against Italy and Germany, when he was widely expected to receive a recall. Instead England’s manager has called up Brentford’s former Newcastle striker Ivan Toney in what appears a key audition for the role of Harry Kane’s principal understudy.
Howe, though, believes Wilson could yet add to his four senior caps in Qatar. “I feel for Callum because he’s not in the England squad,” said Newcastle’s manager, who, conscious of the 30-year-old’s tendency to pick up injuries, signed Alexander Isak for £59m from Real Sociedad last month. “But it will just fuel his motivation, it will fire him even more, so when Callum returns to our team he will show how good he is.”
