Newcastle United have been handed a potential boost ahead of this weekend's clash with Brentford at St James' Park, amid concerns over the fitness of Bees skipper, Pontus Jansson.
What's the word?
As per The Athletic, the Sweden international is 'expected' to be unavailable for Saturday's Premier League encounter, with the 31-year-old having been forced off in the recent goalless draw with Bournemouth as a result of a hamstring tweak.
The report suggests that the former Leeds United man 'should not be out much longer than that', although it would appear unlikely that the imposing centre-back will be able to feature this weekend.
As the report adds, the west London side do have strength in depth, with the likes of Ethan Pinnock and Kristofer Ajer now edging back to full fitness, although the loss of their captain could be a potential blow.
Wilson licking his lips
The absence of Jansson could pose a real headache for manager Thomas Frank, with the 27-cap brute having been a crucial figure for the club in recent seasons, having made the most Premier League appearances (43) of any player in the Brentford squad since their promotion to the top-flight last year.
The £6.3m-rated colossus offers a real imposing presence in the backline having notably won an impressive 65% of his total duels so far this term, with that better than the likes of Ajer (57%) and Mathias Jorgensen (50%), while only marginally behind that of teammate Ben Mee (66%).
While a setback for Frank and co, it could well represent a real boost for Magpies boss Eddie Howe, with the 44-year-old seeking to build on last week's 4-1 thrashing of newly-promoted Fulham at Craven Cottage.
That convincing win over their ten-man hosts had seen striker Callum Wilson make a goalscoring return from injury, with the Englishman having now scored three goals in just four league appearances so far this term.
The 30-year-old will seemingly fancy his chances of bolstering that tally in just a few days' time, with the £46k-per-week gem likely licking his lips at the prospect of facing a Bees side without their key defender in tow, with the Tynesiders hoping to improve upon their last two home outings in which they were held to draws by both the Cherries and Crystal Palace.