Eddie Howe says he has no qualms with Allan Saint-Maximin stepping up his injury recovery in France instead of Tyneside. The Newcastle United flyer jetted back home after being struck down with a hamstring injury earlier this month and won't return to the north east until next week.
Saint-Maximin will miss this weekend's clash with Aston Villa and remains a doubt for the crunch clash with Tottenham at St James' Park on April 23rd. The 26-year-old continues to post positive fitness updates on his social media accounts and Howe insists he is happy with the winger working on his return elsewhere.
"I'm comfortable with it and always have been," Howe said on Friday. "I'm a firm believer you don't have to be in Newcastle to get the best treatment. It's always about helping the player come back in the best condition.
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"If that means sending him to someone he really likes then that's fine. We have a staff member with him so we have contact. The work he is doing is good and it's all about getting him back in a good condition."
Saint-Maximin took to Instagram on Thursday, sharing a clip of himself running in front of a picturesque marina. The former Nice wide man was in fine form before being struck down with his latest setback and Howe believes it won't be long before he is back in a black and white shirt.
"We don't think it's a serious injury, but he's away getting treatment at the moment," the Newcastle boss added. "He's not with us. Hopefully, at some stage next week, he will come back and be available very soon."
Howe also delivered updates on Miguel Almiron and Bruno Guimaraes ahead of the trip to Villa Park. The former is back in training after a thigh issue and could return as early as this weekend.
Guimaraes has been dealing with a minor ankle issue of late but Howe isn't too concerned about the problem. "There's obviously a slight concern that he keeps twisting it and tweaking it, but he's in good hands with the medical team," he said.
"They have checked him and they're happy with him. At the moment, he's fully fit and we hope he stays that way."
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