Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has admitted that he is unsure whether Allan Saint-Maximin will play again this season.

The winger returned to his native France earlier this month to undergo treatment for a hamstring injury, which has kept him sidelined for Newcastle's last four matches.

There was hope that Saint-Maximin would be available for Sunday's 6-1 home victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

However, the Frenchman remained unavailable for the Spurs clash and he also missed Thursday's 4-1 away win over Everton.

Speaking after the comfortable victory at Goodison Park, Howe conceded that he does not know if Saint-Maximin will feature again this season.

"He won't be available for Sunday (at home to Southampton)," the Newcastle manager told reporters. "Maybe the game after that (Arsenal, May 7), but there's no guarantee at this moment.

"I certainly hope he'll be fit before the end of the season, but with hamstring injuries, there's always that element of doubt.

"He's not had a setback, he just needs to build his fitness levels up and make sure he's fully fit before he comes back."

If Saint-Maximin is unable to return before the end of the season then there is a possibility that he may have played his last game for Newcastle.

The 26-year-old still has three years left to run on his Newcastle contract, but there is speculation that he could leave this summer.

A recent report claimed that the Magpies are not convinced that Saint-Maximin features in their long-term plans, and as a result, they may listen to offers in the upcoming transfer window.

The Magpies are sitting in third position in the Premier League table, and they are currently eight points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham, who have played a game more.

Newcastle will look to move closer to Champions League qualification when they welcome Southampton to St James' Park on Sunday. body check tags ::