Report: What Newcastle feel worried about as Lewis Miley prepares to make his comeback

Newcastle fans are presumably excited as Lewis Miley prepares to make his comeback.

The 18-year-old burst onto the scene last season after making his Premier League debut on the final day of the 2022/23 campaign, as Eddie Howe handed the teenager 14 Premier League starts and also two in the UEFA Champions League.

Just take a look at this clever assist.

However, Miley – who shocked Bruno Guimaraes with his talent – unfortunately suffered a back injury in March which disturbed his progress, before a metatarsal issue in June set him back further.

Newcastle have managed to cope well enough without the England U20 international – sitting seventh in the Premier League – although Eddie Howe would ideally like to have his No.67 back as soon as possible.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
7	NewcastleNewcastle	7	3	3	1	8	7	1	12

Now – in a story from The Athletic – it has been revealed what Newcastle are concerned about when it comes to Lewis Miley right now.

Newcastle wary of overloading Lewis Miley

Newcastle supporters should not expect to see too much of Miley straight away, as Howe is wary of putting too much pressure on the youngster’s body.

The Athletic believe Newcastle are conscious they used the Stanley-born wonderkid too often last season, and are keen not to overload him this term when he returns from injury.

It is also said that Miley is expected to make his return to action at the end of October, although anything other than initial appearances off the bench would be a surprise.

Eddie Howe spot on with concerns over Newcastle No.67

Managing the minutes of a young talent is no laughing matter, and Newcastle are right to be wary about how much Miley’s body can handle.

Of course, you see some freak talents in football who seem to be able to cope with 90 minutes every single game, such as Bukayo Saka, but for the most part, youngsters need to be carefully managed.

Just consider Adam Wharton over at Crystal Palace for example, who burst onto the scene last season, eventually playing his way into the England squad for UEFA EURO 2024, but damaging his groin out in Germany as his pre-season was disturbed and the playing time stacked up.

Jack Wilshere is a more famous example – having made his debut for Arsenal at the age of 16, but retired aged 30 after a horrific spell of injury problems throughout his career.

Hopefully, the same does not happen to Miley, and Newcastle can beef their academy graduate up enough to withstand the rigours of Premier League football for years to come.