NEWCASTLE UNITED are hoping Rob Elliot will recover from his thigh injury in order to retain his place in the starting line-up for Saturday’s trip to Bournemouth.

And if Elliot fails to make the trip to the Vitality Stadium, the Magpies are set to give teenager Freddie Woodman the chance to make his Premier League debut rather than make an emergency loan signing for just one game.

Elliot suffered a recurrence of a long-standing thigh problem in the closing stages of last weekend’s goalless draw with Stoke City, and with Tim Krul and Karl Darlow already on the sidelines, head coach Steve McClaren raised the possibility of a loan addition in the wake of Saturday’s stalemate.

However, it is now hoped Elliot will be able to complete a full training session tomorrow morning, which would increase his chances of being available for the weekend.

“We continue to assess Rob Elliot,” said assistant manager Paul Simpson. “He hasn’t trained yet this week, but there’s a possibility we will try him on Wednesday. Then we will look at all options – whether inside or outside the club.

“He had a slight thigh strain – it was assessed as a grade one, not something really serious. He’s had the same injury previously – we will look at him in training on Wednesday then go from there.”

Newcastle have been linked with a possible short-term move for Victor Valdes or Julian Speroni, who are currently the number three goalkeeper at Manchester United and Crystal Palace respectively.

However, with Darlow expected to be available after the forthcoming international break, the Magpies hierarchy are set to turn to England Under-19 international Woodman on Saturday if Elliot fails to pull through.

“We know what Freddie Woodman is all about – he’s a top-class young goalkeeper,” Simpson told NUFC TV. “He’s had a little taste of football experience with his trip out to Crawley, and we have long-term ideas about where Freddie will be.

“He is going to be a top goalkeeper, and hopefully at this club. He showed that in the reserve game (against Aston Villa). He played the sweeper-keeper role very well, and came off his line on a number of occasions and tided things up.”