Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has returned to work at the club’s training centre after recovering from pneumonia, the Premier League club announced on Thursday. The 47-year-old had been hospitalised earlier this month and missed three league matches—against Manchester United, Crystal Palace, and Aston Villa—during his recovery.
“Newcastle United are delighted to confirm that Eddie Howe has returned to his duties at the club’s training centre,” the club said in an official statement. “Eddie had recently been hospitalised with pneumonia and has now returned to work after a period of recovery. We thank supporters for their warm wishes.”
In Howe’s absence, assistant manager Jason Tindall took charge of the team. Under his leadership, Newcastle earned impressive victories over Manchester United and Crystal Palace but suffered a heavy defeat to Aston Villa.
Currently sitting in fifth place in the Premier League, Newcastle are recent League Cup champions and are aiming to maintain their push for a Champions League qualification spot. They will face struggling Ipswich on Saturday in a match crucial to their campaign.
The top five teams in the Premier League are set to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League. Liverpool are nearing the league title, Arsenal are strong contenders for second place, and only four points separate third-placed Manchester City from seventh-placed Aston Villa in a tightly contested battle for European places.
