Newcastle are set for a ‘huge lift’ with Callum Wilson on track to return against Tottenham Hotspur.
That’s according to Lee Ryder, who answered supporters’ questions on his YouTube channel on Saturday.
Just how much have Newcastle missed Callum Wilson?
Wilson has been out of action since picking up a hamstring injury in the 3-2 win over Southampton in February.
Steve Bruce’s side have failed to win any of the six games he has missed, scoring just three goals in that time.
They have slipped to within two points of the bottom three.
Ryder banking on return of Newcastle’s ‘main men’
But Ryder says both Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin, who has been out with a groin injury, should return imminently.
“Callum Wilson is back on the training field. Newcastle hope to get him up and running for that Tottenham game,” he said.
“His return would give everyone a huge lift.
“Obviously they’d need to get the service right for him, which is what they’ve failed to do a few times this season.
“The sight of him back on the pitch, and obviously Allan Saint-Maximin as well, it would just give Newcastle a huge lift going into those last nine games.
“Hopefully the main men, people like Callum Wilson, can lift the team and get that message across: ‘this is it now, the battle’s on to stay up.
“Newcastle will need to get the ball to the feet of Wilson and hopefully that will help them get what would be a massive result against Tottenham.”
Will he help Newcastle stay up?
The Englishman, who joined from Bournemouth last summer for a fee of £20million, remains far and away the club’s top scorer with 10 goals.
In fact, his 15 direct goal contributions are at least seven more than his nearest challenger in black and white – Miguel Almiron (five goals, three assists).
He has scored every 193 minutes on average this season, and nobody else in the squad is under 400.
Predictably, then, he has been a huge miss.