Callum Wilson will miss Newcastle United’s next three matches after feeling “some tightness in his body”, head coach Eddie Howe has confirmed.
The 32-year-old has not featured for his club this season after sustaining a back injury before the beginning of the campaign.
Wilson had returned to training as part of his recovery, but Howe says he will miss Newcastle’s upcoming matches — two against Chelsea, in the Premier League on Sunday and the Carabao Cup next Wednesday, followed by Arsenal at St James’ Park on November 2.
“We’re going to lose Callum for the next three games, definitely,” Howe said. “He’s just had some tightness in his body. He hasn’t felt like he can kick on to that last part that he needed.
“He had trained with us and looked really good. But with Callum, we’re hypersensitive and he’s hypersensitive to things like this. It isn’t an injury but we need him back when he’s ready.”
Wilson’s absence has seen striker Alexander Isak lead the line for Howe in attack this season. The Sweden international has netted once in seven matches across all competitions.
Isak, however, has been one of Howe’s most important players since he moved to Newcastle from Real Sociedad in 2022, and his impressive performances have seen him linked with a number of clubs in England and abroad.
The 25-year-old’s Newcastle contract expires in June 2028, and Howe has made it clear that he wants the striker to remain in the north east for the foreseeable future.
“That’s a slightly more complex situation,” Howe said on Isak’s situation. “Regarding contracts, I’m not involved in those discussions day to day. With Alex, he’s got a long contract anyway at the football club and we have to be really careful with our spending due to profit and sustainability rules (PSR). It’s not a clear-cut situation.
“We of course love him and are desperate for him to stay at Newcastle for many years and score loads of goals for us. I don’t see a short-term issue with his contract.”
(Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
