Will Lewis Hall Return to Chelsea?

There may be trouble ahead for Chelsea as Eddie Howe, the manager of Newcastle United, could not confirm if left-back Lewis Hall will remain with the Magpies next season. Hall, 19, joined Newcastle on loan from Stamford Bridge in August, with an obligation for the club to buy him for around £35 million at the end of the campaign. However, Howe's recent comments have cast doubt on whether Newcastle wants to keep Hall beyond this season.

Performance-Related Criteria

In order for the permanent switch to be activated, Hall must meet certain performance-related criteria. Unfortunately, Hall has only played 234 minutes this season and has struggled to secure regular playing time due to Newcastle's injury crisis. With the return of Dan Burn from injury and the impressive performances of Tino Livramento in recent weeks, it seems unlikely that Hall will feature much in the coming weeks.

Setbacks for Winger Harvey Barnes and Midfielder Joe Willock

In addition to the uncertainty surrounding Lewis Hall's future, Newcastle has also been dealt blows with setbacks for winger Harvey Barnes and midfielder Joe Willock. Both players will now be sidelined until 2024, despite initially being on track to return to action before Christmas.

Newcastle's Struggles

Newcastle, who suffered a defeat against AC Milan in Europe on Wednesday, are currently seven points off the top four in the Premier League. The team desperately needs to turn their campaign around and will face Fulham tomorrow in a crucial match. Eddie Howe emphasized the importance of responding to their recent setbacks and maintaining a positive mindset in order to overcome the challenges they face.

"It's going to be a big test of our ability to respond, our resilience," Howe said. "There’ll be a narrative that will be negative and we have to override that. We can’t deny exiting Europe is a disappointment, but we can control how we respond to it. The mood is good, there is some pain and anguish, but that can’t stay around in professional football."

With uncertainty surrounding Lewis Hall's future and key players facing setbacks, Newcastle must find a way to overcome these challenges and get their campaign back on track.