The chances of Newcastle United midfielder Lewis Miley returning to action in the coming weeks has been played down by Eddie Howe.
Miley hasn’t featured for the Magpies since March after a back injury brought his breakthrough campaign to premature end. He was due to return for pre-season but fractured his metatarsal a couple of days before the squad were called back to Benton.
The 18-year-old has been back at the club’s training ground in recent weeks stepping up his recovery, however he won’t be involved with the matchday squad anytime soon.
Newcastle United midfielder Lewis Miley.Newcastle United midfielder Lewis Miley.
Newcastle United midfielder Lewis Miley. | Getty Images
“Lewy Miley is still a long way off,” Howe admitted. “He’s back on the grass but he’s not back with us. He’s a long way [off] and we’ve still got the long-term injuries as well but there’s nothing fresh apart from that.”
Miley broke into the Magpies’ first-team as a 17-year-old last season and made 26 appearances in total. His first and only goal so far came against Fulham in December which made him the club’s youngest-ever Premier League goalscorer.
Howe suggested Miley could be back in contention by the end of the month or early October but his latest comments looks to have ruled that out.
“He’s doing well, he’s back on the grass, it is great to see him with his boots on,” Howe told NewcastleWorld last week. “The first time was last week. He’s on track I’d say for the three months he was given initially, I don’t see any big change from that.”
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“Is it the toughest midfield selection conundrum? Yeah, I think so,” Howe said recently. “But these are the decisions that we wanted when we signed those players. We felt we needed those, especially for a season in the Champions League. Then when you add Lewis Miley to that group, you’ve got six outstanding central midfield players.
“But a club like ourselves, with the ambitions that we have, we need that strength in depth, and we possibly don’t have that in other positions in the squad. So my wish is that they all stay fit, they all push each other, and I have some really tough decisions to make.”
