Newcastle United star ruled out of Everton clash amid training ground update

Allan Saint-Maximin is back at Newcastle United’s training ground - but is unlikely to feature against Everton on Thursday night (kick-off 7:45pm).

The 25-year-old returned to the UK at the beginning of the week after spending just over a fortnight in France working on his recovery.

Saint-Maximin picked up a hamstring injury during the 5-1 win over West Ham United on April 5 and has missed games against Brentford, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur.

Magpies’ head coach Eddie Howe initially told the media he hoped the Frenchman would be back in time for Spurs. However, the 45-year-old revealed in the build-up to the game, which United won 6-1, Saint-Maximin’s recovery was taking a little longer than anticipated.

“There hasn’t been a setback, it’s just taken maybe a little bit longer than initially thought but no major setback,” Howe said. “With hamstring injuries, we have to be careful.”

NewcastleWorld reported before the 3-0 defeat at Villa that Saint-Maximin was facing a slightly extended spell on the sidelines. Indeed, this week’s visit to Goodison Park is expected to come too soon for the former Nice winger.

Prior to his injury, Saint-Maximin had started four consecutive games - his best run in the starting XI since August - and claimed back-to-back assists in victories over Manchester United and West Ham.

It has, however, largely been a frustrating campaign for the player, with an early season hamstring issue restricting him to 11 Premier League starts.

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