Eddie Howe is hoping to have Kieran Trippier back "quite quickly" providing Newcastle United get the news they are hoping for from a scan today.
The England full-back has been putting the hours in since breaking a bone in his foot against Aston Villa earlier this season but is close to a return. And Howe can't wait to have the influential star back at his disposal.
Trippier rocked into the dressing room in January and quickly became a leader and demonstrated the type of communication skills that helped England to a World Cup semi-final and a European Championship final in recent years.
Howe was able to offer a positive update and said today: "Kieran has a scan on his foot today to see how that's healed. Hopefully the scan goes well and then we can push him quite quickly to get him back - so we're hoping for good news."
Howe is also maintaining his patience with Callum Wilson who is edging closer to a return after a calf injury. The striker has not played since December.
Howe said: "Callum is slightly behind Kieran but still making good progress. He's back on the grass running but he still has a little bit more time ahead of him.
"I hope we see him this season but I can't tell you with any clarity that it is a certainty but hopefully. It’s not necessarily a gloomy assessment, it’s more the type of injury that he’s had, it needs time.
"We need to stress the Achilles and the calf in the right way because if we do it too quickly, then he’ll re-injure himself; if we do it too slowly, obviously we’re going to run out of time for the season.
"With Kieran’s, it’s more of a bone injury and once it heals, he’s good to go. The Achilles is a lot more delicate. I wouldn’t say it’s a gloomy assessment, it’s just the injury, we knew – which is why I gave you the update that I did a couple of months ago – this will take time."
