“Newcastle United in PANIC MODE as Star Drops SHOCKING Injury Bombshell HOURS Before Everton Showdown – Is Alexander Isak’s Career in JEOPARDY?”

Kieran Trippier is expected to feature in Newcastle United’s final Premier League fixture of the season against Everton at St James’ Park.

A victory for the Magpies would secure Champions League qualification for the second time in three seasons.

However, any other outcome would leave Eddie Howe’s side dependent on results elsewhere going in their favour.

Heading into the final round, Newcastle are third in the Premier League table with 66 points.

They are level with both Chelsea in fifth and Aston Villa in sixth, while Nottingham Forest sit just one point behind in seventh on 65 points.

Thanks to their superior goal difference, Newcastle have a slight advantage. Chelsea will travel to face Forest, and Villa will take on Manchester United at Old Trafford in their respective final matches.

Trippier’s involvement had been uncertain due to a calf injury that saw him miss Newcastle’s recent games against Chelsea and Arsenal.

Speaking at Friday’s pre-match press conference, Howe said: “He’s probably in a similar situation to Alex [Isak].

He hasn’t trained with us yet, and he’s been out for maybe two to two and a half weeks.

“He could build up some load over the next couple of days, and we might see him in training tomorrow. We’ll have to wait and see.”

Despite the uncertainty, the 34-year-old has hinted at a return by posting a matchday preview graphic for the Everton clash on his official Instagram account.

Notably, he did not post such graphics ahead of the last two matches he missed, suggesting his intention to be involved this time.

In addition to Trippier, Newcastle are hoping to welcome back leading scorer Alexander Isak, who missed last weekend’s narrow 1-0 defeat to Arsenal due to a groin problem.

Isak had travelled to North London with the squad, but after experiencing discomfort in his groin, he was sent for a scan on the morning of the match.

As of Friday, he had yet to rejoin full team training and had been limited to individual sessions. The club planned to reintroduce him to training on Saturday.

“He’s doing okay,” Howe confirmed. “He hasn’t trained with us yet, but he’s made good progress. The next couple of days are absolutely crucial in determining his availability.

“There’s a chance he could be involved. It’s hard to be more specific because until he’s back in full training, we won’t know how he’ll respond to the demands of the match.

“We’ll only play him if he’s truly ready. He’s been running and building up fitness without pain, which is a good sign.

But there’s a big difference between running and being ready for competitive football. So far, he’s done everything asked of him pain-free. The next two days will tell us more.”