Newcastle United winger Anthony Elanga is set to return to training next week after being given the all clear following a month on the sidelines. Head coach Matthias Jaissle delivered the update at his press conference ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash with Aston Villa at St James' Park.
Jaissle also indicated that Dan Burn and Joelinton are not yet ready to start matches and are likely to begin on the bench against Villa. The news comes as Newcastle look to bounce back from a 4-1 defeat at Coventry City.
Elanga's return timeline
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Jaissle said: "Unfortunately, he's (been) out for many, many weeks. Now is the process to bring him back slowly but surely in a smart way that we are not in a hurry."
"Hopefully, that will be next week, he's about to train again with the group, at least partially. Then we need to reintegrate him step by step. We miss him a lot and I can't wait to have him back."
Toure cleared after Coventry knock
Bazoumana Toure has also been checked and cleared after going off in the defeat at Coventry City with a knock. The Ivory Coast international received good news ahead of the Villa clash.
"Bazou seems to be much better," Jaissle added. "He did not look very well during the match, but he was progressing well, and hopefully he is able to join the group on Saturday."
Burn and Joelinton fitness update
The big decisions going into Saturday's game are whether to change the back four and whether to bring Joelinton back into the starting lineup. But after medical advice, Jaissle suggested Villa will come too soon for both players.
Jaissle said: "We need to manage that really carefully. That is the tricky part because we have missed them so much. Joe has been longer in training than Dan and the next steps is to integrate them and give them more game time. For Dan it is most likely too short to get the starting position. For Joelinton it could be quicker."
