Newcastle United shock injury boost explained after worrying photo & 'slightly unclear' claim

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Anthony Gordon was a surprise starter for Newcastle United against Nottingham Forest.

Eddie Howe has explained how Anthony Gordon was able to start Newcastle United's 3-2 win at Nottingham Forest on Saturday night.

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The former Everton winger was a major doubt heading into the game after leaving last weekend's 4-4 draw against Luton Town at St James' Park on crutches and wearing a protective boot.

Speaking to the media on Friday morning, Howe said Gordon hadn't yet trained and it was "slightly unclear" when he would.

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Howe's ambiguous response led some believe the 22-year-old was ruled out of the trip to the City Ground. However, Gordon trained with his teammates on Friday and retained his place in the starting XI.

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Asked about Gordon's surprisingly quick recovery, Howe said: “I think my words were he hadn’t trained to that point. He trained yesterday[Friday] and trained well. But he did well to come through the game considering he left last week in a protective boot."

Gordon played 90 minutes before being replaced by Emil Krafth in stoppage time as the Magpies claimed a 3-2 victory to move up to seventh in the Premier League table.

When asked by NewcastleWorld how much credit Gordon deserve for making himself available, Howe replied: "He's done that several times this season when his preparation may not have been what he wanted but he's always said 'Yes, I want to play' and he's always delivered.

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"I thought he delivered again today. Very, very pleased with his maturity and how he's attacked the season."

Bruno Guimaraes' brace and a goal by Fabian Schar cancelled out strikes from Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi to record a fourth straight away win in all competitions.

Next up for Howe's men is AFC Bournemouth at St James' Park on Saturday (kick-off 3pm), where they will look to end a run of three home matches without a victory.

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