Boss confident £45m forward duo can form potent partnership

EDDIE Howe believes Chris Wood and Callum Wilson could play up front together despite the United strikers being ‘very different’ players.

Newcastle signed £20million Wood from relegation rivals Burnley on Thursday and, with Wilson sidelined, the new arrival is expected to make his debut in today’s huge relegation six-pointer against Watford.

It is easy to see why Newcastle have turned to Wood, with his arrival coming just days after the Magpies failed to convert any of the 35 crosses they swung into the box during their humiliating FA Cup defeat against Cambridge.

One of the few players to have scored at least 10 goals in each of his last four Premier League seasons, Wood has led the way for aerial duels (846) and headed shots on target (26) for some time.

The New Zealander will relish the responsibility of scoring the goals to take Newcastle away from danger and Howe has not ruled out the 30-year-old starting games alongside £20million Wilson when the number nine recovers from his calf injury.

“We will assess that at the time when Callum gets himself fit, which is hopefully not too far in the distant future,” the head coach said.

“We’re really willing Callum on in his rehab and his return from injury.

He’s such an important player for us.

“I do think they could play together, of course. They’re very different players, but I think that’s a good thing in terms of constructing a frontline. We’ll cross that bridge, hopefully, when we come to it very soon.”

Wilson has already quipped that Wood’s arrival will ‘bring out the dog’ in him as the striker looks to show the new signing ‘who’s the king’ when he steps back out on the grass.