Wilson’s Euros hopes in tatters

Toon and England striker faces three months out

CALLUM Wilson’s hopes of making the England squad for Euro 2024 are all but over as he faces up to three months out with a pectoral tendon injury.

Mail Sport can reveal the Newcastle striker is set to have surgery, and that will see him sidelined for nine to 12 weeks. It is the latest injury blow to hit Eddie Howe’s Magpies in a season disrupted by absences.

Wilson is almost certain to miss their next 10 fixtures, and if he does not feature again this season, he could have played his last game for the club, given his contract will have 12 months to run come the summer. There is understood to be interest from clubs abroad, including in Saudi Arabia.

But the 31-year-old’s England dreams are also hanging by a thread. He will not be available for the March internationals, and, even if he returns in mid-April, would have only a month of the domestic season to prove his form and fitness to Gareth Southgate.

Wilson suffered the freak injury during last weekend’s 3-2 win at Nottingham Forest after getting into a tangle with a defender late in the game, and he left the pitch using his shirt as a sling. Mail Sport reported on Tuesday that Newcastle were hopeful he could manage the pain and had not ruled him out of Saturday’s Premier League visit of Bournemouth.

However, further investigation has revealed that surgery is needed, robbing Howe of a player he hoped would make a major impact in the coming weeks after returning to the starting XI at Forest for the first time since December, having only just recovered from a calf problem.

In better news for Newcastle, striker Alexander Isak is close to a return after a groin injury and has an outside chance of making the squad this weekend. If not, Anthony Gordon will again be deployed at centre forward.

Meanwhile, sporting director Dan Ashworth was working at Newcastle yesterday despite his expected departure for Manchester United, who are preparing a formal approach.

Mail Sport understands United will not pay an excessive compensation fee for the 52-year-old. Instead, they would be prepared to meet the contractual compensation and wait for Ashworth to complete a period of gardening leave.