Matt Targett is eyeing his comeback as Newcastle United's season starts to get really interesting.
The left-back was signed in the summer for a fee of £12million from Aston Villa but suffered a dead leg at the start of the season and lost his place to Dan Burn. The Geordie defender remains in the team on merit but Targett has not appeared since before the World Cup after a heel injury.
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Howe is hoping to include Targett in his squad in due course but has welcomed signs of progress from the ex-Southampton defender. Howe said: “He’s running, he’s early stages of ball work and out on the grass, which is a great thing for us to see. "He’s a huge player."
With Newcastle fighting on two fronts, with the League Cup final ahead against Manchester United, and the tussle for the Champions League places to come, it will be intriguing to see how Targett is reintegrated into the line-up. The 27-year-old was a mainstay in the team that fought off relegation last season.
With Fabian Schar and Sven Botman automatic picks it would take a drastic loss of form or injury for Burn to be sidelined. But Targett, who left Aston Villa because he wasn't first choice, will be keen to prove his worth under Howe again.
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