Eddie Howe's Newcastle United decision is no surprise after illness battle

Jason Tindall last week summed up what has been the general message from inside the Newcastle United camp of late; that Eddie Howe's recovery from his pneumonia diagnosis was more important than any other matter on Tyneside.

"Eddie has been in great hands and the most important thing is that he comes back when he is feeling 100 per cent ready," the No2 wrote in his pre-match programme notes.

Thursday morning brought confirmation, just 12 days after the Magpies' head coach had been admitted to hospital, that Howe was already feeling well enough to work after taking training on Wednesday. It should come as no surprise, given the will and determination of the man, that he has made such a swift recovery from an illness that can often take months to fully recuperate from.

The NHS' official advice is that 'most people' usually recover from pneumonia at around four weeks. Yet with side effects such as shortness of breath, a high temperature and chest pain, coupled with the stresses of Howe's job, it would have been no surprise to see the Newcastle boss take an extended break.

Instead, with the black and whites locked in a tense battle for a top five finish, Howe's return will offer a much-needed confidence boost inside the camp on Tyneside. There is also confidence, given Tindall's recent work in the hotseat, that the manager's health will remain at the forefront of all thinking upon his return to the dugout.

Missing the last three Premier League encounters, for a man who has barely missed a single day alongside Tindall in almost two decades, must have been incredibly tough for the Newcastle head coach. Thankfully, due to the close-knit nature of United's backroom contingent, Howe's absence has not been felt as harshly as some may have feared at the beginning of his absence.

Now, the club chief returns following two impressive victories - and one defeat - in his absence, with Newcastle enjoying an enticing position inside one of the Premier League's five coveted Champions League spots.

“The message to the players, to everyone, is we can’t lose sight of where we are," Tindall said in the aftermath of Saturday's defeat to Aston Villa. “We are third in the Premier League and if you had said to anyone at the football club at the start of the season, 'would you be happy with being third in the Premier League with five games to go?', I think everybody would have said yes.

"That is the biggest message. To make sure that we rest, recover, and then when we get back to work, we prepare right to go and deliver a good performance against Ipswich.”

The chances of Newcastle delivering a solid performance against the Tractor Boys have certainly grown in light of news of Howe's return, with the Magpies receiving a timely boost ahead of the upcoming run-in.