Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has provided the latest update on the fitness of his squad ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash with West Ham United at the London Stadium.
The Magpies are enjoying a strong run of form having won five of their last six matches across all competitions, including last weekend’s**2-1 top-flight home win** over Fulham and Wednesday’s 2-0 victory against Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup fourth round.
At the beginning of this run, Lewis Hall briefly featured as a second-half substitute in a 4-0 Champions League win over Club Brugge on October 1, but he has since been sidelined with a hamstring injury.
However, Howe has now provided a positive update on the left-back’s fitness and is hopeful that he can feature in first-team training on Friday.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Howe said: "[Hall] is very close. He hasn't trained with us yet, but hopefully training today for the first time. We will see how he looks. We have to introduce him back to the squad at the right time."
It remains to be seen whether Hall will be available to return to Newcastle’s matchday squad against West Ham, but he could be ready to return in upcoming fixtures against either Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League or Brentford in the Premier League next week.
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe on September 17, 2025
Howe issues Osula, Tonali fitness update before West Ham clash
Asked if there are any fresh injury concerns in his squad following Newcastle’s midweek win over Spurs, Howe added: "No. Don't think there is anything new, we are managing [Will] Osula's ankle. We will see how he is today."
Osula was not deemed fully-fit to start against Tottenham, but he did feature for the final 20 minutes as a substitute, making his seventh successive substitute appearance in all competitions.
Sandro Tonali, meanwhile, was fit to play the full 90 minutes against Spurs after recovering from a “nasty illness” and Howe has been impressed with the Italian’s recent performances in midfield.
"If he was at 80%, I'd say what a player we've got,” said Howe. “He tired at the end naturally but you can see his quality. Delighted he is back."
“He looked very good physically. He tired at the end, naturally, because I think he’d given so much, but I think you could see his quality. I was delighted that he was back in the form he was on Wednesday.”
Elsewhere, Tino Livramento (knee) remains sidelined, while Howe has also delivered a fresh update on the fitness of summer signing Yoane Wissa, who is still waiting to make his debut for the club as he continues to recover from a knee injury.
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