Eddie Howe confirms Lewis Hall fitness ahead of Palace clash

Eddie Howe has delivered a positive fitness update ahead of Newcastle United’s first Premier League fixture of 2026, confirming Lewis Hall is fit enough to feature against Crystal Palace on Sunday and revealing several key players are closing in on returns.

The Magpies host Palace at St James’ Park in a 3pm GMT kick-off, looking to build on Tuesday’s 3-1 win at Burnley, their first league victory since early December. Howe’s pre-match briefing offered encouragement on multiple fronts as Newcastle prepare for what the head coach has described as a season-defining month.

Hall picked up a knock during the win at Turf Moor, raising concerns over his availability. However, Howe struck an optimistic tone when discussing the 21-year-old’s condition.

“He should be OK. We'll have a closer look at him today,” Howe said. “He's an important player for us. He's technically excellent — an attacking, front-foot defender — and he's only going to get better the more games he plays.”

Howe added that Hall is returning to peak physical condition after an interrupted period earlier in the season.

“Fitness-wise, he's getting his very best form back. He's a real talent and we need to try and keep him on the pitch.”

Newcastle’s defensive depth could soon receive a significant boost. Howe confirmed both Kieran Trippier and Tino Livramento are close to resuming full involvement after recent injury issues.

“We've got a couple of training days but Tino Livramento and Kieran Trippier have worked really well,” Howe explained. “They've had a couple of recovery periods so they're both close.”

Emil Krafth, however, remains further away from a return as Newcastle continue to manage workloads carefully.

Sven Botman’s return is also edging closer, with the Dutch defender back training with the group.

“They're both very close,” Howe said. “Sven's been training with the group which has been great, so I envisage him being in and around this game.”

Anthony Elanga has yet to rejoin full training but is not far away from doing so, giving Howe hope of additional attacking options later this month.

Despite Palace’s mixed recent form, Howe was quick to stress the difficulty of the challenge posed by Oliver Glasner’s side, particularly away from home.

“It will be a difficult game,” he said. “Their away form is very good, they're a very good defensive team — solid, tough to score against — and they've got good attackers the other way as well.”

Newcastle’s head coach made it clear Palace will not be underestimated, even as his side look to impose themselves at home.

Howe also framed the fixture within the wider context of Newcastle’s demanding January run, highlighting the importance of momentum and squad availability.

“This is going to be a season-defining month for us with very minimal rest between games,” he said. “The start of the month has to be a fruitful one.”

Reflecting on the Burnley win, Howe acknowledged moments that still need improvement, particularly after Newcastle raced into an early lead.

“We have our themes and areas that we're focusing on and trying to implement at the moment that will make us stronger and better.”

Newcastle will assess Hall again in the final training session before welcoming Palace to St James’ Park. With several senior players nearing full fitness, Howe faces important selection decisions as the fixture congestion intensifies across January.

With key defenders edging back, can Newcastle finally build momentum — or will Crystal Palace’s resilience derail their New Year restart?