EDDIE HOWE will assess Newcastle United’s World Cup players on a ‘case-by-case basis’ as he ponders the make up of his starting side for next week’s Carabao Cup last-16 clash with Bournemouth.

The Magpies return to action a week on Wednesday, with their League Cup game with the Cherries preceding the resumption of the Premier League programme on Boxing Day, when Howe will take his side to the King Power Stadium to take on Leicester City.

England’s World Cup quarter-final defeat to France on Saturday evening means all five of Newcastle’s players who were involved in Qatar have now exited the tournament, with Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson following Bruno Guimaraes (Brazil) and Fabian Schar (Switzerland) on the plane home.

Trippier and Schar were the most heavily involved of Newcastle’s World Cup quintet, but none of their players played in all of their nations’ matches, meaning they should not be too physically exhausted as a result of their exertions in the Middle East.

How much of a mental toll the tournament has taken is a different matter though, so while Howe is understandably keen to reintegrate the quintet as quickly as possible, he will be overseeing some detailed assessments and drawing up individual training plans in the next few days.

“We’ll take it on an individual basis because it’s a difficult one to predict,” said Howe, who returned from Saudi Arabia with the rest of Newcastle’s players and coaching staff at the end of last week. “The individual player, how much football they’ve played at the World Cup, could potentially have a bearing.

“Speaking to all the players, I know they’re very keen to come back and join us very quickly, but of course, we have to get the balance right.

“We don’t want to fatigue players, mentally probably more than physically, going into the second half of the season. At some stage, we will probably need to give them a break. When that is, I don’t know.”

With Gareth Southgate’s future as England manager hanging in the balance as he assesses his options in the wake of Saturday’s World Cup exit, Howe has once again been heavily linked with a possible move to the national side.

The 45-year-old has been non-committal when asked about the England job in the past, but Newcastle’s ownership group are confident they have done all they can to protect themselves against the possibility of losing their manager.

Speaking about the situation prior to the start of the World Cup, Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth said: “We have done everything we can from a contractual point of view that you’d do for a manager and coaching staff to protect the club as much as we can. Things are in a good place, and I would sincerely hope and be confident he’s stay.”