Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has provided an injury update as he prepares for the return of Yoane Wissa and Lewis Hall. The DR Congo international has yet to feature for the Magpies since signing in the summer whilst Hall sustained an injury during the 4-0 victory over Union SG after picking up a hamstring issue.
Hall was absent for the 2-0 triumph against Nottingham Forest but may return before the upcoming international break. Speaking during his press conference ahead of the lengthy journey to Brighton, Howe revealed: "The second scan was good news. There was a different scale, we hope he will be back before this international break. We hope he does not suffer ill effects.
"From the first scan, that did not look possible, so good news. It has been difficult for him because he is very motivated to play. He wants to do really well and has big aims.
"I think this is a really minor injury, it may serve as a good thing as it will let other issues settle down."
Wissa was expected to return for the Brighton fixture this week following a knee injury but encountered a setback. Howe stated on October 3 that Wissa would be sidelined for eight weeks.
However, he has experienced no further complications since then, with Howe commenting: "We have seen Yoane back on the grass, which is great to see; his knee has reacted very well. Nothing has changed in terms of timelines."
Howe had revealed before the international break regarding Wissa: "Yoane saw a specialist again yesterday for a check-up on his knee. We probably think now it'll be eight weeks rather than six. No recurrence or problem, just slightly longer."
Before the trip to Brighton, Howe also provided an update on Tino Livramento following his substitution against Arsenal: "He is out the brace he was in and every time I speak to him he seems positive about his return. There's not massive changes in the timescale he was given but he is going about his recovery well."
Newcastle make the journey to Brighton tomorrow with last season's corresponding fixture finishing in a 1-1 draw which proved crucial in securing United's Champions League qualification.
Discussing the upcoming trip to Brighton, Howe commented: "When you look back now you see that point was a frustrating one on the day but turned out to be really valuable. We always have tough games against them and they are well coached."