DAN BURN has made Newcastle United’s left-back spot his own in recent weeks, but Eddie Howe cannot wait until the defender has some competition from a fit-again Matt Targett.

Targett has been sidelined since November with a heel injury that proved to be much more complicated than was initially envisaged.

The left-back has not started a league game since mid-September, but while he will not be considered for tomorrow’s home game with Liverpool, he has been able to step up his training this week and should not be too far off a first-team return.

Whether he can wrest back his starting spot from Dan Burn is debatable given how impressively the latter has performed in the last few months, but Howe is still looking forward to having Targett back in his squad.

The Newcastle boss said: “We’ve definitely missed Matt. First and foremost, he’s a great player,a great character.

“He’s a very, very consistent trainer and someone who goes about his business in a very professional way.

“He’s got very different attributes to Dan, and in his own right is an outstanding player. Having him back is a great boost for us.”