Newcastle handed Joelinton and Gonzalez boost - but SIX stars still missing on Tuesday
Newcastle United have been handed some encouraging news on the injury front this morning, with two first-team players back in training as Matthias Jaissle's squad begins to take shape again.
Joelinton and Nico Gonzalez have both returned to training on Tuesday, providing a timely boost during the international break.
However, there is still a sizeable group of players working their way back from injury, with six first-team stars remaining absent from the latest training picture.
Two back in training on Tuesday
There was some welcome news for Newcastle on Tuesday, as Craig Hope revealed that both Joelinton and Nico Gonzalez were back on the grass.
Joelinton continuing his recovery from a quad injury suffered in his final game of pre-season, while Gonzalez missed the Hull City victory after suffering a concussion in the 4-1 defeat at Leeds.
Gonzalez was forced off during the first half at Elland Road after being struck by the ball, with Jaissle subsequently confirming that Newcastle would follow the Premier League's concussion protocols and leave him out against Hull.
Nico's return was expected, while Joelinton recently gave a positive update on his muscle injury as our vice captain eyes our trip to Coventry on Monday 12th October.
Given how our midfield was picked apart in our last away game - a battering at Leeds earlier this month - it would be a welcome boost to have both fit again.
Six Mags still absent
Despite those two boosts, Newcastle's injury list remains a long one, with Dan Burn, Amar Dedić, Jacob Ramsey, William Osula and Anthony Elanga all missing from today's session.
The scale of the problem was clear during the Hull game, where we saw Academy talents like Michael Mills, Kyran Thompson and Vakhtang Salia all drafted into the squad.
With that in mind, it feels like international break has come at a helpful time. Burn recently revealed that he's edging closer to a return, Bosnia's manager said Dedic will be back for our first game back, and Osula is thought to be targeting the Coventry game in just under two weeks time.
Elanga's hamstring injury isn't thought to be serious, Ramsey's return date remains a mystery, while Livramento's latest injury is not clear following an MRI scan last week.
There is certainly still work to do on the injury front, but seeing two important players return to the training ground is a very welcome step in the right direction.
