Newcastle face an anxious wait on two fronts as they attempt to push home a deal for Watford striker Joao Pedro and Callum Wilson heads for a scan.
The Magpies, who face League Two Tranmere in the Carabao Cup second round on Wednesday evening, have been targeting attacking reinforcements for much of the summer in a bid to boost head coach Eddie Howe’s options with Wilson, who has struggled with injury during his two years to date on Tyneside, and Chris Wood currently his only specialist frontmen.
That quest increased in urgency on Sunday when the 30-year-old former Bournemouth marksman limped out of a thrilling 3-3 Premier League draw against Manchester City with a tight hamstring, and he has now been sent for a scan to assess the extent of the damage.
Eddie Howe on Callum Wilson who was substituted against Man City after feeling his hamstring:— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) August 23, 2022
Asked if Wilson’s latest misfortune might change the club’s remaining transfer business, Howe said: “Well, I think we will wait and see the extent of Callum’s injury before answering that question, really.
“I don’t think it will be serious, but with hamstrings, you’ve got to be very, very careful, not just with Callum, but with any player.
“As I say, we will wait and see the results and see how long he’s going to be out.”
Wilson has made a big impact at St James’ Park since his £20million move from the Cherries, scoring 22 goals in 49 appearances to date, one of them a cultured finish in front of England boss Gareth Southgate at the weekend.
He has been the club’s top scorer in each of his two seasons at Newcastle despite missing the second half of the last campaign with a hamstring problem.
The Magpies’ recruitment team, which landed goalkeeper Nick Pope and defenders Matt Targett and Sven Botman early in the summer window, have endured a frustrating spell since in their pursuit of additional firepower, and Howe has played down suggestions they have reached agreement with the Hornets for 20-year-old Brazilian Joao Pedro.
Addressing talk that it was a done deal, he said: “I think that is not entirely accurate, but I’m not dealing with those things minute to minute or day to day.
“I’m sort of hearing in the background what’s happening, but I don’t think that’s correct.”
In the meantime, Howe will concentrate on the task of guiding his side through the first League Cup tie of his reign buoyed by their exhilarating performance against City.
The 44-year-old, who admitted he was “exhausted” after watching the game back on Sunday evening, said: “That is a snapshot of how we want to be.
“We want to become a top team and to become that team, we have to play aggressive, front-foot football, so that is a view to the future for us. But we have to become better in every aspect of that.”
