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Eddie Howe has insisted that Chris Wood has been “outstanding” so far for Newcastle United despite his lack of a goal for the club, denying he is thinking of dropping him – before giving insight into the new approach he is instilling in terms of squad rotation.

Wood was one of the first players to join Newcastle since their Saudi-backed takeover. He joined from fellow Premier League side Burnley in the January transfer window. However, the 30-year-old striker is yet to score for his new club from seven appearances.

Links continue with other, younger strikers for Newcastle. But the New Zealand international is the man they are relying on for now.

And Howe is more than happy with the work Wood has been doing.

He said: “I think he’s been outstanding since he’s arrived. He does a lot of the things people don’t necessarily see. But he’s had a dramatic effect on the team.

“He’s given us the ability to retain the ball from loads of different situations.

“He brings others in to play and his tactical understanding is of the highest level. Yes, he hasn’t scored but the team has performed. I can’t speak highly enough of him and I’ve got no thoughts of taking him out the team.”

Howe has inspired a turnaround of fortunes since replacing Steve Bruce as head coach. Helped by several other signings in the January transfer window, he has lifted the club clear of the relegation zone. But 12 games remain this season to ensure their Premier League status.

Currently on an eight-match unbeaten run in the league, Newcastle have stabilised under Howe. He has earned those results with a largely settled formula. Although he has now confirmed he is open to rotating his squad, even if Wood’s place seems secure.

Clarifying that he is not just picking a similar team for the sake of it, there is a message he is trying to send to his players.

Howe trying to enhance Newcastle rhythm

He told a press conference ahead of their match against Southampton: “We’ll look to make the right decisions for the team.

“I think with the run we’ve been on I’ve been reluctant to change things because the team had lacked rhythm for a long time. So when you get it, you want to try and enhance not disrupt it.

“It doesn’t mean I don’t believe in the players I’m not using, that’s the key thing. I believe in them and I believe they can all play a huge role in the future. But I’ve just got to deal with the here and now.

“I think it’s a very important message. I think if players come into the team and think that even if they perform they’ll come straight out again then there’s no reward for that performance. That’s something I wanted to try and create.

“What you don’t want to do is pick the same team because you’ve won the game but tactically have a problem in the next game. You have to be careful not to go blindly into the next match. We’ve picked the same team but we’ve adapted in games because the challenges are different.”

Newcastle injury updates and Shelvey defence

However, Howe is not yet able to look at Allan Saint-Maximin as a regular starter. Newcastle’s main source of inspiration has been dealing with injury issues recently. He came on as a substitute in their most recent win over Brighton.

The manager clarified: “Allan is not 100% fit. He did one day of training, his first in three weeks, before the previous game. We are very keen to have him back and back at his best.

“When he came on against Brighton he did well and a key moment gave us a lift. We are trying to build up his fitness and he’s nearly there.”

Overall, though, things are looking up on the availability front. Howe added: “We’ve got no injuries of major concern.

“We had a few niggles after the Brighton game. But we’ve had Matt Ritchie return to training so that’s a really good thing.”

Newcastle beat Brighton 2-1, scoring twice in the opening quarter of an hour. However, it was not their finest performance of the season. In fact, Jonjo Shelvey apologised for his own display despite the win.

Howe has no issue with the midfielder making such comments in the manner he did. Indeed, he is happy that Shelvey has high standards for himself.

The ex-Bournemouth boss said: “I’ve got no problem with him expressing that in a good way, which I think he did.

“Jonjo sets very high standards for himself and he’s been a little bit hard on himself, which I don’t have an issue with.”

The match between Southampton and Newcastle will take place on Thursday night. It will be a 7:30pm kick-off at St Mary’s Stadium. Newcastle go into the game seven points behind their opponents, who have played a game more.

READ MORE: Newcastle, Tottenham in fight for midfield star with unfinished Premier League business

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