Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe was probably ‘trying to protect’ midfielder Joe Willock by leaving him out of the team, according to Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie.

The 22-year-old has endured a difficult season at St. James Park after enjoying an extremely fruitful six-month loan spell at the club in the second half of last term.

What is the latest news involving Willock?

Willock made an instant impact following his arrival at Newcastle from boyhood club Arsenal in January 2021, scoring eight goals in 14 Premier League games, including seven in his last seven outings.

And that impressive form convinced the Magpies’ hierarchy to splash out £25 million to secure the youngster’s services on a permanent basis back in August.

However, Willock was unable to replicate those levels of performance at the beginning of the current campaign.

The former England Under-21 international failed to find the back of the net in his opening 21 games of 2021/22 across all competitions and was dropped from the side towards the end of December and start of January.

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After starting on the bench against Liverpool, Willock was hauled off at half-time in the 4-0 defeat to Manchester City before playing no part in Newcastle’s next two fixtures due to illness and a lack of form.

Despite that, the youngster has bounced back in recent weeks, starting eight of Newcastle's last nine top-flight fixtures, registering two goals along the way.

What has Downie said about Willock?

According to The Telegraph, Willock suffered from severe homesickness after moving away from his native London, and Downie believes Howe was attempting to shield the midfielder from further scrutiny.

He told GiveMeSport: “Looking back now, it's probably just Howe trying to protect him because he was going through a tough time.

“I mean, this is a guy who last season scored in seven consecutive games at the end of the season, then signed for £25 million, and then went 21 games without a goal. It was just an unbelievable fall from grace.”

How has Willock been performing?

The same Telegraph report states that Howe has ‘indulged, encouraged and comforted’ Willock, but has also shown him some ‘really tough love’ too. 

It’s believed that the 44-year-old tactician was impressed with Willock’s ability and athleticism yet was left extremely underwhelmed by his performances in training and in games.

Nevertheless, the engine room operator’s underlying numbers indicate a corner has now been turned.

Willock ranks in the top three amongst his Newcastle teammates for tackles (2.4), dribbles (1.3) and pass completion (81.3%), as per WhoScored, highlighting the increasingly important role he his playing under Howe.