Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has admitted that it has been ‘very difficult’ to cope with the number of injuries to his players this season. The Magpies have been left short for much of the campaign, with the likes of Callum Wilson, Kieran Tripper, Tino Livramento and Miguel Almiron having been sidelined in recent weeks.

Newcastle will be missing a number of key players when they face Fulham at Craven Cottage this weekend, leaving Howe to work with a stretched squad once again. Quizzed on the club’s injury crisis in Friday’s press conference, he admitted that it has been tricky to deal with the sheer amount of setbacks his players have been dealt.

“The difficult thing is when you’re stretched and you lose a couple, you become even more stretched,” he said. “When you come to a tipping point it’s difficult to control because you can’t rest and rotate, you don’t have the flexibility to protect players. We’ve been in that situation for months. When you get a number of injuries in the same position it’s very difficult.”

Howe went on to offer updates on several players, with the recent injuries to Livramento and Almiron not proving to be as serious as initially feared. However, both players will be unavailable for at least a few weeks while they return to full fitness.

“Tino’s was quite obvious when you look back at the footage, the ball has just hit his ankle before he’s planted his foot and twisted it to an uncomfortable angle,” explained Howe. “Thankfully it’s not as serious as it could have been and we anticipate he will be back quickly. Miggy has just tweaked his knee but it’s enough to keep him out for a few weeks.”

Asked for an update on Wilson, who has been out since February with a muscle problem, Howe added: “Callum is looking good, doing the hard yards and running hard. It’s an upper limb injury so he’s able to keep fit and rebuild his strength. We anticipate when he comes back he will be looking good.”

Newcastle skipper Jamaal Lascelles was the latest player to suffer a long-term injury at the end of last month, rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in the dramatic victory over West Ham. Scans last week revealed that he needed surgery and he is expected to be sidelined for between six to nine months.

“A big blow for us and for Jamaal, he’s been excellent this season,” said Howe. “Behind the scenes he’s been a key part of our leadership team. Initially for a player it’s difficult to accept that you’re faced with a long period of rehabilitation. He’s had his operation and that was successful so he’s already on the road to recovery.”

Lewis Hall, meanwhile, could be involved against Fulham despite coming off in the midweek victory over Everton due to fatigue. Howe explained: “We hope that he’ll be fine and that he’ll be back training today. We anticipate he’ll be part of that group.”

Newcastle will remain without Tripper for now as he continues to recover from a calf problem, which is taking slightly longer to heal than initially anticipated. Nick Pope is on course to return from a long-term shoulder injury at the end of this month, with Martin Dubravka set to keep his place between the sticks for the time being.