Newcastle United double injury boost v AC Milan as Eddie Howe provides Harvey Barnes update

Newcastle United suffered their second Premier League defeat on the bounce at Tottenham Hotspur last night - but there were two positives to emerge.

Sean Longstaff and Callum Wilson made a return from their respective injuries to play the remaining half an hour at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The pair had previously been sidelined for a month but their comebacks helps ease the club's injury crisis, which currently stands at 10 players out.

They were introduced in the 65th minute with United 3-0 down. A Richarlison brace and goals from Destiny Udogie and Heung-Min Son inflicted a 4-1 defeat - the Magpies' sixth of the Premier League season.

Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe named the same outfield players for the fifth consecutive game.

“You want to make changes that benefit the team, not make changes that don't benefit the team so I'm trying to make those decisions and get them right," said Howe.

"I've been backed into a very difficult position with the team selection and even in-game decisions.

"Today it would have been easy to say: 'You've got Callum and Sean, put them on the pitch.' But they're not 100% fit so I've got to be very careful with them.

Thankfully they came through and I thought their performances were really good in the game and that is a big positive in the game.”

Newcastle host AC Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday and need to better Paris Saint-Germain's result in Borussia Dortmund to qualify for the last 16.

But Howe did not confirm if Wilson and Longstaff are fit enough to start.

"[Longstaff and Wilson] will be better for today," Howe added. "That was a good 30 minutes for them but we'll have to take it game by game but it's a difficult one to predict for Wednesday.”

Howe is hopeful of getting more of his senior players back in the coming weeks. Sven Botman is understood to be close but the 45-year-old denied that Harvey Barnes is nearing a return to action.

Asked about the £38million summer signing, Howe said: "No. Not currently. He’s not one of the closest players.”

Botman and Barnes haven't featured since the 8-0 win at Sheffield United in September which subsequently is Newcastle's only away win in the Premier League this term.