Eddie Howe has issued a Newcastle United injury update on Tino Livramento, Anthony Gordon and Jacob Murphy ahead of the Sunderland derby

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe provided an early fitness update ahead of the upcoming Tyne-Wear derby.

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has provided an early injury update ahead of the upcoming Tyne-Wear derby against Sunderland at St James’ Park. Speaking before Newcastle’s midweek clash with Barcelona, Howe confirmed that Tino Livramento had returned to the squad after a lengthy injury absence.

The right-back recently made his comeback off the bench after spending around two months sidelined with a hamstring injury. His return offers a significant boost to Howe’s options, with veteran defender Kieran Trippier having been the only natural option at right-back in recent weeks.

However, Howe suggested Livramento may not yet be ready to start immediately as the coaching staff carefully manage his return. “He probably hasn't done enough training for me to feel 100% confident that he's in that best physical moment, especially for such a big game to start,” Howe explained.

“But, he's in our squad and anyone who's in that position obviously is in contention to play. So, it's a delicate balance with Tino at the moment. He trained again this morning, he trained again on Friday, and he's in good spirits, he's in a good place. He's a massive player for us, it's great to have him back. But obviously, I've got to try and get the team selection right.”

Howe also provided a wider update on Newcastle’s squad fitness following their recent defeat to Manchester City. The Magpies boss confirmed that there were no new injury concerns from that game, although illness has affected parts of the squad in recent days.

“I think we came through the Manchester City game okay,” Howe told The Shields Gazette. “No fresh injuries. Got a little bit of illness again in the camp, so it's been hanging around in recent days. We'll have a player go down, but they're recovering quite quickly, so I anticipate we won't lose anybody. We'll be as we were with Tino Livramento back in the squad.”

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There had been some fitness concerns surrounding Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon in recent weeks. Murphy had been dealing with a neck issue while Gordon had been managing an ankle problem and was ill coming into the midweek game, though both wingers were still able to feature as second-half substitutes in Newcastle’s last outing against Barcelona in the Champions League.

Elsewhere, both Dan Burn and Joelinton, who were named on the bench against Manchester City, returned to face the Spanish giants on Tyneside. Newcastle have also welcomed back Jacob Ramsey after the midfielder missed the City game through suspension. With the Tyne-Wear derby looming in 18 days’ time, Howe’s update suggests Newcastle could head into the fixture close to full strength as preparations continue for one of the most anticipated matches of the season.

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