Worry for Howe: Newcastle dealt potential blow as 'massive player' could miss Chelsea clash

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe faces the possibility of being without a key player for today’s Premier League clash with Chelsea.

The Magpies have enjoyed an extraordinary run of form over the last two months, with Howe now aiming to all but seal his team’s place in the top flight for 2022/23.

Newcastle are unbeaten in their last nine Premier League matches, winning six of them, with their last league defeat coming against Premier League frontrunners Manchester City in mid-December (Transfermarkt).

The St James’ Park side have racked up 19 points out of their last 21 matches, putting a 10-point gap between themselves and the bottom three – a feat made all the more extraordinary given that they’ve had to cope with a few injuries in that time.

Federico Fernandez, Callum Wilson and Kieran Trippier are among the players to have been sidelined, with an update now coming to light on star player Allan Saint-Maximin.

The Frenchman returned from his own knock recently against Brighton but missed the subsequent trip to Southampton through illness (Transfermarkt).

Ahead of the visit to Chelsea today, it is touch-and-go as to whether Saint-Maximin will return for the Stamford Bridge clash, with the 25-year-old in a ‘fitness fight’ alongside Joelinton, as per Lee Ryder.

Indeed, as also relayed by The Guardian, Newcastle’s exciting winger is ‘doubtful‘ to face off against Thomas Tuchel’s side in a potential worry for Howe.

As the recently rejuvenated Newcastle aim to continue their remarkable run, potentially being without Saint-Maximin this afternoon would seriously hamper their chances of another victory.

The former Nice star is by some distance Howe’s most threatening player in the final third, averaging a simply sensational