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Newcastle's win over Chelsea at St James’ Park was heartwarming for the Magpies for more than one reason.
That win helped not only help the Magpies ascend to the top three but also marked the comeback of Jamaal Lascelles after a year.
The 30-year-old centre-back, who was benched during the 2-0 win over Chelsea, made his first appearance since he tore his ACL against West Ham in March 2024.
Injury kept him sidelined for about 400 days and forced coach Eddie Howe to adjust an already injury-plagued defense.
Head coach Eddie Howe had kept expectations measured over the centre-back’s return.
“With Jamaal, he is making good progress,” Howe told reporters earlier this month. “Really pleased with how he has looked since coming back to training.”
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“It has been a slow, steady return, he's certainly not been rushed. Possibly he could be involved before the end of the season, but maybe it will depend on injuries with some of the other players within the squad.”
“I think maybe for Jamaal it would be better if it was next season, but I think if he feels good and has done enough training then [him playing this month] is certainly something we'll look at.”
With Newcastle sitting 3rd in the Premier League and pushing for a spot in Europe, having Lascelles available, especially before a vital Premier League clash against Arsenal on the road, gives Howe some valuable experience in defense in the final two games.
Defender will stay at Newcastle
Newcastle United captain Jamaal Lascelles will remain at the club beyond this summer, with The Athletic’s Chris Waugh revealing that the defender’s contract now runs until 2026.
“Jamaal Lascelles has another 12 months to run on his contract beyond the end of the season,” reported by Waugh. “The Newcastle United club captain [was] given an unannounced extension last year.”
Lascelles, had originally signed a six-year deal in 2018, which was widely understood to expire in the summer of 2024. But insiders told The Athletic that the club exercised its option to extend it to next season.
The club has not publicly confirmed the extension, but Waugh noted that “sources with knowledge of the situation, speaking on the condition of anonymity, have informed The Athletic that this is the case.”
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