Major boost: Newcastle now handed big injury lift that'll leave Howe buzzing - opinion

Newcastle United have been handed a big lift over winger Ryan Fraser following an injury he sustained against Brighton. 

Eddie Howe has revealed that the Scotland international is set to be fit for the clash with Southampton as he was not concerned about any long-lasting damage from his knock.

He told The Shield’s Gazette: “I think there’s a few boys in the dressing room nursing little things today. You saw a few of them stretching on the pitch. It was a big physical effort. There were a few players right on the edge. Hopefully, Ryan will be OK.”

Newcastle United fans and indeed the manager will surely be buzzing with this news as Fraser’s availability will be a major boost to Howe’s squad.

Allan Saint-Maximin has not started any of the club’s last three matches due to injury and Fraser has stepped up in his absence to provide a huge attacking threat for the side. In the last three games, the Scot scored once and provided two assists whilst recording SofaScore ratings of 6.7, 8.5 and 8.0 respectively.

He produced an impressive eight key passes against West Ham, Brentford and Brighton combined as he has been able to show off his sublime creative talents. His direct running at the opposition is exciting to watch and he is now delivering quality end product when he gets into good positions, which has been reflected in the recent results and his contributions to them in terms of goals and assists.

This is why his injury not being a serious blow is a major boost for the Magpies. He has shown that he can have a big impact on the team and losing him would have taken away his ability to create chances for his teammates from Howe’s arsenal heading into their clash at St. Mary’s.

Fraser is currently averaging 1.0 key passes per