Newcastle United head into Saturday’s home game against Everton still without a clutch of key players.
The Magpies are coming off a 3-2 Champions League win over Qarabag in midweek that secured their place in the last 16, where they will face Barcelona.
Before they get there, though, they need to find some consistency in the league, having lost their previous game and sitting 11th in the table, one point behind Saturday’s opponents.
Jacob Ramsey missed the Qarabag game with a hamstring issue he picked up in training, but Howe is hopeful the midfielder will be fit in time.
“Jacob, we hope, will train today, so fingers crossed for tomorrow,” the Newcastle boss said during his pre-match press conference on Friday.
The 24-year-old has been one of the club’s better players since joining from Aston Villa for £39 million last summer.
Tino Livramento, who has been out since picking up a hamstring injury in the FA Cup against Bournemouth, is getting closer.
Howe confirmed the right back is on track for an early March return, adding that he has been training and building up his fitness separately and should be in good shape when he returns.
Lewis Miley is the more concerning one. The 19-year-old has not featured since the 1-1 draw with PSG at the end of January, and what initially looked like a minor knock has turned into something that requires real care.
“If we don’t get the management of this injury right, he could be out for the season,” Howe warned.
Bruno Guimaraes, Emil Krafth and Fabian Schar remain sidelined, with Guimaraes expected back in April at the earliest after suffering a hamstring injury against Spurs earlier this month.
