Newcastle United provide Allan Saint-Maximin update ahead of Tottenham Hotspur clash

Allan Saint-Maximin is making “good progress” in his recovery from a hamstring injury - according to Eddie Howe. The Newcastle United winger suffered an injury setback in the week building up to the Manchester United game.

The 25-year-old had previously missed five consecutive Premier League games before enjoying a 12-minute cameo in the 5-1 win over Brentford. Saint-Maximin was expected to feature at Old Trafford but aggravated his injury.

Saint-Maximin won’t return in time for Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, or Aston Villa next Saturday. However, Howe is hopeful the Magpies star will return before the World Cup break.

“I haven’t seen too much of Allan in the last few days as we’ve been preparing for games but I think he’s making good progress,” Howe said. “He’s very focused on his recovery and working very hard with the physios to get his injury right.”

United have gone six games unbeaten, despite the absence of Saint-Maximin and club-record signing Alexander Isak in recent weeks, and climbed to sixth in the top-flight table with 18 points from their opening 11 matches.

“It says a lot about the squad as a whole,” Howe said. “It’s not just 11 players, it’s about the whole group. We’ve had players come in off the back of those injuries and been given an opportunity that I think they’ve grasped. That then makes us a stronger group when we do get everybody back fit.

"Everyone feels part of the team. It’s a very positive thing for us. If you can get results whilst picking up injuries, all the better for everyone connected with the squad. I do recognise that we do need those players back and we do need to be at full strength because the competition is so high.”