A "hugely important" Newcastle United player could start in his side's Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest, according to an update from reliable journalist Keith Downie.
Newcastle injury news
The Magpies are back in action on Saturday evening, making the trip to the City Ground for an important league fixture for both sides.
Eddie Howe's men will still have aspirations of finishing strongly in the European places this season despite a below-par campaign on the whole, and victory over Forest would be another big step in the right direction.
As has been the norm in 2023/24 to date, however, Newcastle have injury problems to contend with, with a number of key players out of Saturday's match. Joelinton is a long-term absentee, for example, while Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak are also missing, which acts as a big blow. Sandro Tonali is still serving his ten-month suspension for breaching betting rules.
It does look as though some positive injury news has now emerged for the Magpies, however, giving the supporters a real boost ahead of the trip to Nottingham.
Callum Wilson could start for Newcastle
Writing on X, Downie provided an update on several players and said that Callum Wilson could start for Newcastle against Forest, having only featured once since the turn of the year.
"Anthony Gordon & Alexander Isak both missing for Newcastle tomorrow. (neither injury are as serious as first feared). Callum Wilson is in line to come in and start through the middle. Hope is Joe Willock will be ready to return by the end of February."
This is fantastic news for Newcastle, especially with Isak ruled out, with Wilson someone who can provide match-winning quality in the final third. The Englishman's season has been disrupted by injury, which has been frustrating, but having him back for a sustained period could be such a boost to the Magpies' European hopes.
Howe himself has made it clear how highly he rates his striker, waxing lyrical over him during the 2022/23 season, saying:
"He’s a hugely important part of our team, a focal point. We rely not just on his goals but his movement, his work rate. His appearance in the team gave us confidence."
Wilson may only have managed seven Premier League starts this season, but he has also scored seven goals in that time, highlighting how prolific he remains. At 31, age isn't necessarily on his side when looking at the long-term picture, but he is going to be a vital figure between now and the end of the season as injuries continue to bite.
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Newcastle could find Forest tough to break down on Saturday evening, so it may require a moment of magic or a ruthless finish to find the net. This is where Wilson is such an important player for the Magpies, and it would be just like him to score on his first start in months.