'He's on the grass': Jamaal Lascelles is stepping up training as Eddie Howe delivers comeback verdict

Newcastle United's club captain Jamaal Lascelles hasn't played a minute of football this season after undergoing ACL surgery last year.

Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles had the same ACL surgery at around the same time last year and both were expected back to training/first-team availability around the new year.

While Sven Botman met that target and has since played several times, Lascelles has suffered a few setbacks in his recovery and it yet to return to full training.

As we head into March, there still seems to be no sign of the former Nottingham Forest man being available for selection.

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Eddie Howe says Jamaal Lascelles is looking at the end of the season for his comeback

Eddie Howe has given an update on Lascelle's progress in his press conference this morning and while there are some positives, it's not sounding good in terms of a return date.

"Jamaal is continuing to work, I think he was the last player to leave, he works extraordinary long hours, he was here until 5pm yesterday.

"He is as dedicated a player as you will see, he has had various problems. He has had setbacks, nothing major, but little moments that have knocked back his recovery.

"He has been on the grass and been training individually with physios. He has not gone beyond that stage yet. He is in a pretty good place, we are probably looking towards the end of the season as a return date."

Jamaal Lascelles' contract expires this summer

Jamaal Lascelles is one of the first-team players whose contract is due to expire in the summer, too, so if he wants to try and bag himself an extension, he'll want to return to action to prove he's still got what it takes.

This injury couldn't have come at a worse time for Lascelles as he'd just found himself back in the starting XI on a regular basis, thanks in part to the injury crisis which swept the club last season, but he also put in some strong performances when called upon.

We're sure Eddie Howe will want to keep hold of Lascelles beyond the summer as he's such an important figure behind the scenes, but it could be time to call it on his Newcastle career.