Eddie Howe: No timeframe given for Newcastle manager’s return

No timeframe has been given for Eddie Howe’s return to Newcastle but assistant Jason Tindall says the manager will be back as soon as he is “100% ready”.

Howe was admitted to hospital with pneumonia on Friday, and missed his side’s 4-1 win against Manchester United on Sunday.

He will also miss the next two games against Crystal Palace on Wednesday and Aston Villa on Saturday, with Tindall and coach Graeme Jones remaining in charge.

“We’ve had minimal dialogue together since that announcement,” Tindall said.

“He’s in the best possible hands and he’ll be back as soon as he feels he’s ready to come back 100% to lead the team.”

The victory against Manchester United strengthened Newcastle’s push for a Champions League spot as they sit one point behind third-placed Nottingham Forest in the Premier League with seven games remaining.

Newcastle’s players, including captain Bruno Guimaraes and player of the match Harvey Barnes, dedicated their performance to Howe, saying they wanted “to put a smile on his face”.

In March, Howe guided Newcastle to their first domestic trophy for 70 years with a deserved Carabao Cup final win over Liverpool at Wembley.

He has been in charge of the Magpies since November 2021, when he succeeded Steve Bruce.

Tindall added that he had not spoken to Howe about the team’s preparation but he was confident in leading the side through such a crucial period.

“We know the expectations and demands that we put on each other and ourselves each and every day, and it’s going to have to remain that way until the manager is back.

“But we know what we need to do, we know how we need to prepare to make sure that we can go and deliver performances that the manager would be proud of.

“It’s part of my job and I’ll do the best I possibly can in his absence. We’ve worked together for 17 years now, so we know what is expected of each other, and hopefully I can deliver the same messages as he would want.”