Eddie Howe has been speaking to the media this morning, issuing an update on the fitness front ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Spurs at St James’ Park.
He’s confirmed that Joe Willock looks set to miss out, but there’s been “positive” feedback on his ongoing achilles issues after the club sought advice from another specialist following his withdrawal at Fulham last weekend.
Lewis Hall has a quad problem and is a “doubt” after failing to train all week. Tino Livramento is yet to rejoin the group, but Howe revealed that he’s the “closest” the returning after recovering well from an ankle issue. Without naming names, Howe also mentioned that he was hoping to get “three or four back” in the coming weeks.
Howe on Lewis Hall – “(Hall has) tightness in his quad. No muscle pull directly but enough to see him miss training this week. He’s a doubt for the game.”
Howe on Joe Willock – “Joe has been to see another specialist to check on the progress of his achilles, which has been problematic for him. The feedback was positive. For Tottenham, I don’t think he will be available for us. We need to make sure the long-term prognosis for him is positive so he may need some rest.”
Howe on Tino Livramento – “The closest player to coming back would be Tino Livramento, he has not trained with the team but has been out on the grass.
Howe on our other injured players – “Other players are doing well in the background so I am hoping in the not-too-distant future we can get three or four back.”
Howe’s final comment gives us some hope, with the likes of Trippier, Almiron, Joelinton, Pope, Miley and Wilson hoping to return in the final few weeks of the season.
