Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe insists Ryan Fraser must keep working to regain his place in the first-team setup at St James' Park. The winger hasn't featured in a Premier League matchday squad since Boxing Day and last played for the senior side back in October.
Fraser has been attracting interest in recent months, with Chronicle Live understanding a number of southern clubs have enquired over his availability. However, there may be a surprise way back into the fold for the former Bournemouth flyer.
"No, he's not injured. He just needs to keep training hard," Howe told reporters on Monday. "He's a valued member of the squad.
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"I know him better than anyone and I know what he's capable of. I'd love to see him back in a Newcastle shirt."
Fraser enjoyed a run in the team earlier in the season but has since dropped down the pecking order behind the likes of Jacob Murphy and Elliot Anderson. Chris Wood's sudden exit means Newcastle are now looking a lot lighter in attack, with the club exploring their options as the business end of the window approaches.
While Fraser may still have a future at Newcastle, there may be other departures on Tyneside in the coming days. Karl Darlow is attracting interest, while there has been speculation Jonjo Shelvey could depart for Turkish side Besiktas.
Howe played down talk of the duo leaving as the Newcastle boss wants to keep his current squad together with a huge semi-final on the horizon. "I’ve been surprised at all the speculation [about Shelvey]," Howe said.
"I’ve got no idea where that has come from. It’s certainly not come from us. Jonjo is a very valued member of the squad."
"There’ll be no one going out before tomorrow. We assess the squad on a daily basis, and depending on what’s happening, there’s lots of noise and lots of things going on, but we certainly want to keep the squad intact."
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