Newcastle United have announced that manager Eddie Howe is still recovering in hospital after being diagnosed with pneumonia.

The 47-year-old missed the Magpies 4-1 home victory over Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday after he was admitted to hospital on Friday evening.

Assistant coach Jason Tindall stood in for Howe as goals from Harvey Barnes (2), Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes secured three valuable points for the Magpies in the race to secure Champions League football for next season.

Howe has been told that he will be kept in hospital for further assessment and Newcastle have confirmed that their manager will therefore miss the club's next two Premier League matches.

The Magpies will welcome Crystal Palace to St James' Park on Wednesday night before travelling to Villa Park to lock horns with fellow top-five hopefuls Aston Villa on Saturday evening.

In a statement on their official website, Newcastle "continues to extend its best wishes and support to Eddie and his family as he continues his recovery."

Tindall and first-team coach Graeme Jones will lead Newcastle against both Crystal Palace and Aston Villa in Howe's absence, "with further updates to be communicated in due course."

Howe thanks Toon Army as he recovers from pneumonia

Howe has spoken for the first time since being admitted to hospital and has thanked supporters for their "messages and warm wishes".

"A huge thank you to everyone connected with Newcastle United and the wider football community for your messages and warm wishes. They have meant a lot to me and my family," Howe said via newcastleunited.com.

"I also want to pay tribute to our incredible NHS and the hospital staff who have treated me. I'm immensely grateful for the specialist care I'm receiving and, after a period of recovery, I look forward to being back as soon as possible."

Howe will hope to have recovered and released from hospital in time to take charge of Newcastle's Premier League home encounter with Ipswich Town on April 26.

Newcastle are currently involved in a hotly-contested battle to secure a top-five finish in the Premier League, but they boast a slight advantage over their rivals as they have a game in hand on all the other teams currently sitting in the top seven.

The EFL Cup winners, who currently sit fourth in the table, can climb above Nottingham Forest into third place if they beat Crystal Palace on Wednesday, before ending the campaign with games against Villa, Ipswich, Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton.

Tindall will provide a fresh update on Howe and the fitness of his Newcastle squad at a pre-match press conference on Tuesday.