Jason Tindall says Newcastle boss Eddie Howe will only return when he is ready

Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe will only return to the helm when he is fully ready, assistant Jason Tindall has said.

The Magpies confirmed on Monday evening that 47-year-old Howe had been diagnosed with pneumonia after being admitted to hospital on Friday, and he will miss the key Premier League fixtures against Crystal Palace on Wednesday and Aston Villa at the weekend.

Speaking at his press conference on Tuesday morning, Tindall said: “We’ve had minimal dialogue together since that announcement. He’s in the best possible hands and he’ll be back as soon as he feels he’s ready to come back 100 per cent to lead the team.”

Asked if Howe’s situation had put football into perspective, Tindall, who along with coach Graeme Jones will take charge of at least the next two games, added: “Of course.

“As we know, your health is the most important thing and that’s why it’s so important that when Eddie does decide to come back, he comes back and he’s able to lead the team as we know he does day in, day out and he’s fully recovered, and I’m sure he will do.”

No timeframe has been established for Howe’s return and, with the Magpies sitting a point behind third-placed Nottingham Forest with seven games remaining, Tindall could find himself at the helm for a significant and crucial period.

Asked what role Howe might play, he said: “For the manager not to be here, he’s obviously poorly in hospital and the same as last week, we had almost minimal contact in terms of preparations.

“But we know the expectations and demands that we put on each other and ourselves each and every day, and it’s going to have to remain that way until the manager is back.

“But we know what we need to do, we know how we prepare and we need to prepare right to make sure that we can go and deliver performances, as I said at the weekend, that the manager would be proud of.

“It’s part of my job and I’ll do the best I possibly can in his absence. We’ve worked together for 17 years now, so we know what is expected of each other, and hopefully I can deliver the same messages as he would want.”