Newcastle United have been handed a timely injury boost with key attacking duo Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron back in training this week. Both players came off with apparent injuries in the 1-1 draw with Bournemouth on Saturday, with Callum Wilson and Joe Willock also suffering problems before and during the game respectively.
Saint-Maximin limped off at the Vitality Stadium with what looked like a knee injury after an awkward fall, while Almiron received a nasty blow to his hand. Speaking after the game, Eddie Howe was confident over the severity of both issues and has thankfully welcomed both men back to the training pitch this week.
Willock, however, is facing a race against time to be passed fit for the Carabao Cup final later this month after limping off with a hamstring issue on the south coast. "The concern from today is Joe who has gone off with a hamstring problem so we'll wait and see how he is," Howe said at full-time.
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Wilson is also trying to step up his return to the fold but admitted on his BBC podcast this week that he picked up a slight issue in training last week. "I was burning inside to go back there, to a club that has been so good to me," he told co-host Michail Antonio. "But then in training I felt some tightness. That can happen when you're working hard. We'd worked hard in previous games and we train hard too, similar to how we play."
Jamaal Lascelles has also returned to the training pitch after missing the trip to Bournemouth for personal reasons. Meanwhile, Javier Manquillo is also back with the group after a speedy recovery from a knee issue.
Howe is still likely to be forced into trying a new midfield three against Liverpool this weekend due to Willock and Bruno Guimaraes' absences for the St James' Park clash. Newcastle played a pivot of Joelinton and Sean Longstaff for most of Saturday's 1-1 draw, with new addition Anthony Gordon operating further forward in a number 10 role. Elliot Anderson is another option who could be deployed from the bench.
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