McAvennie says Wilson returning is ‘exciting’ for top-half push

Callum Wilson has been sidelined for with a calf injury since December 2021 but is close to making a return after being spotted in training earlier this month.

The 30-year-old’s last game was Newcastle’ 1-1 draw with Manchester United three months ago, so he’s yet to play alongside the Magpies’ new signings and has only been on the winning side once this season. Wilson could see out the season, however, helping Newcastle’s push for a top-half finish.

Frank McAvennie credited Eddie Howe for getting excellent results in 2022 without having the 30-year-old available, telling Football Insider: “Newcastle have done so well to keep winning without those players.

“We all know how good Wilson is on his day. He’s still their top scorer. It’s incredible to see them both working to be back and Newcastle have a decent end to the season.”

The 30-year-old has six goals in 15 Premier League games this season and still leads the scoring charts – Allan Saint-Maximin is second with five goals but no other player has more than two goals to their name.  

Wilson is a talented player that Howe will relish having back, but he also has an uncertain future at Newcastle. The 30-year-old has a poor injury record (26 PL games missed in last two seasons) which makes him unreliable over the course of a campaign, so there’s no guarantee that he’ll lead the line in 2022/23.

Newcastle are currently 14th in the league and five points adrift of 10th-placed Leicester City, but they’ve played two games more. United are also coming off the back of consecutive defeats, so they need a strong finish to the season to make up a lot of ground.  

In other news, Frank McAvennie gives verdict on Eddie Howe’s signings at Newcastle