Newcastle United defender Jamaal Lascelles has been given the green light to start the new season as captain at St James' Park.
Much has been made of the possibility of Lascelles not starting the campaign with £34million Sven Botman through the door and Fabian Schar one of the favourites to start against Nottingham Forest. But Howe has underlined the presence of Lascelles and indicated he does not need to change skipper, despite having the option of England right-back Kieran Trippier - who took the armband against 1860 Munich in the second half.
When asked about Lascelles' position, Eddie Howe, when asked who will lead the team if the long serving captain is missing, said: "It's a difficult question to ask, Jamaal is our captain. He led the team really well last season.
"He is a big presence and a very positive influence in the squad. He has been excellent pre-season so Jamaal is our captain.
"If he doesn't play for whatever reason, injuries or whatever, I will pick somebody else. But it's not the time to talk about it."
Lascelles was linked with a summer move to Fulham and has also been tipped to return to his old club Forest. But Howe was keen to clarify the situation and said: "Jamaal is definitely staying. He is a big part of what we are doing."
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