Newcastle United have confirmed the return of head coach Eddie Howe to his official duties after he was hospitalised for a few days with pneumonia.
Howe missed the Magpies’ last three Premier League games but he is now ready to be in the dug-out for the home game against Ipswich Town at the St. James’ Park on Saturday.
In his absence, Newcastle defeated Manchester United 4-1, followed by a 5-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace 5-0 and they fell to a 4-1 defeat against Aston Villa last weekend.
His return is expected to boost Newcastle United’s final push for UEFA Champions League qualification as they are currently fifth in the Premier League table with five games left.
The club statement on Thursday read: “Newcastle United are delighted to confirm that Eddie Howe has returned to his duties at the club’s training centre. “Eddie had recently been hospitalised with pneumonia and has now returned to work after a period of recovery. We thank supporters for their warm wishes.”
How has Eddie Howe fared with Newcastle this season
Appointed as Newcastle United head coach in 2021, Howe successfully steered the Magpies out of relegation and a year later, he secured the club’s qualification for the Champions League.
He has so far improved the club’s reputation and this season, he achieved a landmark success in Newcastle upon Tyne by leading Newcastle to lift their first major trophy in 70 years with a victorious EFL Cup campaign.
His team ran out 2-1 winners against Liverpool at Wembley Stadium on March 16 and he also became the first English manager to win an English trophy with a Premier League club since Harry Redknapp’s FA Cup triumph with Portsmouth in 2007-08 season.
Howe’s peculiar playing style has made Newcastle United one of the major contenders for Champions League football next season, with the presence of Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon, Callum Wilson and Jacob Murphy making the Magpies one of the highest-scoring teams in the Premier League this season with 62 goals (just behind Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal).
What’s next for Newcastle Utd
As a result of their EFL Cup triumph, Newcastle United have an automatic qualification for the UEFA Europa League but they are still among the six teams challenging for the four UCL qualification spots.
With 59 points from 33 games, Newcastle occupy the fifth spot with two points above Chelsea and Aston Villa while they find themselves behind Arsenal (eight points), Man City (two points) and Nottingham Forest (a point).
Their final fixtures of the season are as follows:
Newcastle Utd vs Ipswich Town – April 26
Brighton vs Newcastle Utd – May 4
Newcastle Utd vs Chelsea – May 11
Arsenal vs Newcastle Utd – May 18
Newcastle Utd vs Everton – May 25.
