Newcastle United triple injury boost as Eddie Howe hopeful £100m trio will return v Crystal Palace

Eddie Howe hopes to welcome back three of his Newcastle United players from injury during the two-week international break.

The Magpies earned a 2-2 draw at West Ham United on Sunday afternoon but Howe was unable to call upon the services of Joelinton, Sven Botman and Joe Willock - plus the suspended Anthony Gordon.

Joelinton has missed the last two matches because of a hamstring injury while Sven Botman hasn’t featured since the 8-0 win at Sheffield United last month due to a knee issue.

Meanwhile, Willock has been sidelined since May. The midfielder suffered a setback when recovering from his hamstring injury in pre-season before picking up a fresh Achilles problem in August.

United host Crystal Palace at St James’ Park after the two-week international break and Howe is hopeful of getting some of his players back from the treatment room.

Asked about Joelinton, Howe said: “Ultimately it wasn’t close. He hasn’t trained with us yet but hopefully, for the next game, fingers crossed, he’ll be back.”

When questioned about the wider injury front, the 45-year-old added: “We were missing some big players today and that makes the recent games all the more positive for us because when you’re stretched, you need the depth of your squad.

“I think we’ve shown that. The players that have come in have been brilliant for us but I thought we missed Joelinton. We’ve definitely missed Joe Willock for such a long time. Sven [Botman], Anthony [Gordon], these players can make a difference, especially in a tight game when we’re fatigued and 2-1 up.

“That’s something we need to look at and hopefully we can get those players back in the next two weeks.”

Newcastle’s only long-term absentee is summer signing Harvey Barnes. The former Leicester City winger is expected to be sidelined until early 2024 with a foot injury.