Jamaal Lascelles returns to Newcastle training and is available to face West Ham
Newcastle captain Jamaal Lascelles has returned to training and is available to face West Ham on Saturday, reports The Shields Gazette.
The visitors’ skipper had missed the previous game against Aston Villa with illness but has recovered in time for the visit to the London Stadium for the early kick-off.
The Magpies beat Aston Villa in his absence with Dan Burn and Fabian Schar keeping a clean sheet, and with the new signing from Brighton performing so well as a replacement his captain manager Eddie Howe has a big decision to make.
Big three points
The return of Lascelles may help to negate the psychological impact of having lost Kieran Trippier to a broken metatarsal.
David Moyes could use all the help he can get with the Hammers in poor form and the resurgent visitors suddenly just the opposite.
Despite going into the game 12 places higher in the Premier League, the Irons have only won twice in their last five and had to be rescued by injury time goals in normal and extra time to beat Kidderminster in the FA Cup.
Following Manchester United’s win over Brighton on Tuesday night, the manager has also seen his side fall out of the top four.
A late strike from Craig Dawson spared the Hammers the embarrassment of throwing away the lead at Leicester on Sunday after an alarming second-half collapse that saw both full-backs turn into panicked wrecks and the usually vital central partnership of Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek go completely missing.
Since being knocked out of the cup last month however, Newcastle are unbeaten in five in the league and on a three-game winning streak that has seen them climb off the bottom and out of the relegation zone.
Since the January transfer window passed, the lack of reinforcements appear to have mentally weighed on the West Ham squad, while the opposite can be said of the upcoming opponents who spent heavily.
Fans will be hoping the Hammers can overcome the psychological weight of the current slump and get a positive result.
In other West Ham news, there is speculation that the club may be able to hold onto Declan Rice if other clubs look elsewhere.