Newcastle United handed major double boost ahead of trip to La Manga as two stars return
Lewis Miley is expected to be back up and running in time for Newcastle United’s trip to La Manga next week.
Miley missed the 1-1 draw with Gateshead on Saturday after breaking his leg towards the end of last season and missing the run-in.
But the 20-year-old is close to a return and head coach Eddie Howe says he will be back with the squad for the journey to Spain on Friday.
Whether Miley features in the clash at the Mestalla is up for serious debate on the back of such a severe injury, but Howe told reporters: “Lewis Miley is making really good progress. We think he will be back in La Manga to train.”
Speaking on Miley’s importance last term, Howe had said: “He’s been missed massively. Sometimes with players, you know how important they are and with Lewie, we knew all his attributes and how good he is, but he’s added some new strings to his bow in recent games with the versatility.
“Suddenly, when we’ve lost that, you don’t just lose one player, you lose almost three or four in one player. His composure on the ball, his decision-making, his height, his athleticism, we’ve missed all of those aspects in his performance.
“Yes, he’s only 19 (turned 20 in May), and he’s still getting better and improving all the time, but we’ve got an unbelievable player on our hands, and we’ll be delighted to get him back on the pitch.”
Another star who missed the end of the 2025/26 season is Joelinton, who picked up a hamstring issue and also sat out the end of the season, is aiming for a return in Spain.
Howe said: “Joelinton is doing well and he is running. We are building up his fitness slowly so that he gets his robustness back.”
However, the boot camp in the luxury resort will not see a comeback for England defender Tino Livramento who missed the World Cup despite making the squad at the end of last season.
The ex-Chelsea youngster suffered a calf injury with the Three Lions, and Howe said that while Sven Botman and William Osula are set to return, the full-back will miss out.
He said: “They’re all looking like they’ll be back and available around La Manga, maybe Tino Livramento apart. I think the squad’s in relatively good health.”
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