Eddie Howe delivers Lewis Hall injury update as Newcastle face West Ham | OneFootball

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has issued a positive injury update on long-term absentee Lewis Hall ahead of Sunday’s clash with West Ham United.

The Magpies could soon be boosted by the return of the young defender, with Howe confirming that the English full-back is “very close” to being back in action.

Hall hasn’t featured for Newcastle since his cameo in the 4-0 Champions League win against Belgian top-flight side Union Saint-Gilloise at the start of October.

His last start for the Magpies came over a month ago in the 4-1 EFL Cup third round victory over League One outfit Bradford City at St. James’ Park.

Newcastle have struggled in the absence of the 21-year-old defender, although his injury woes are just a piece of the puzzle behind the Magpies’ slow start to the season.

Howe’s side have managed just three wins from their opening nine Premier League games so far and will be looking to get back into the top half of the table with a win against West Ham.

Speaking ahead of the trip to London Stadium on Sunday, Howe confirmed that Hall is nearing a comeback and could soon rejoin full training.

“He’s very close,” Howe said in his pre-match press conference. “He hasn’t trained with us yet, so hopefully he’ll be training with us today for the first time.

“We’ll see how he looks. He’s worked really hard, looked after himself, looks in good shape, but we will have to reintroduce him at the right time.”

Hall’s return would be a welcome boost for Howe, whose defensive options have been stretched over the past few weeks. Aside from Hall, Howe provided an encouraging update on the rest of his squad.

“No fresh injuries,” he confirmed. “We are still managing Will Osula’s ankle – we will see how he is today. But apart from that, we are as we were.”

Newcastle head into this weekend’s must-win clash on the back of a routine 2-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur to book a place in the EFL Cup quarter-final.