Jason Tindall ready to lead Newcastle for rest of season in place of Eddie Howe

Jason Tindall is ready to take charge of Newcastle for the remainder of the season as Eddie Howe recovers from pneumonia.

With Newcastle’s manager still in hospital on Tyneside, his assistant will lead the team against Crystal Palace at St James’ Park on Wednesday night and at Aston Villa on Saturday but, if necessary, Tindall is prepared to deputise for longer.

Given that recovery times from assorted types of pneumonia vary considerably, with some patients requiring months rather than weeks off work, Newcastle are anxious that Howe does not rush his return and concentrates, instead, on being fully fit for the start of next season.

Accordingly it is quite possible that Tindall will assume responsibility for Newcastle’s final seven games of the season as they bid to achieve Champions League qualification. A point against Palace would see the Carabao Cup winners leapfrog Nottingham Forest into third place.

“There is no exact timeframe [for Howe’s return],” said Tindall on Tuesday. “As and when called upon I am here to step into the shoes. Eddie’s in the best possible hands and everything will be guided by them [doctors] on a day-to-day basis. He will only come back when he is ready and it will be on the guidance of the people taking care of him.”

Tindall revealed he has not spoken to Howe since his admission to hospital late last Friday night, with the 47-year-old only well enough to exchange brief text messages but he hopes to have a conversation with his long standing friend “in the next couple of days.”

“The most important thing for the manager is to rest and recover and not worry about anything other than getting better,” he said. “I would imagine, that in the next couple of days, if he’s feeling better, there will be dialogue.”

After spending part of his playing career alongside Howe as they formed Bournemouth’s central defensive partnership before serving as his assistant at Bournemouth and now Newcastle for much of the past two decades, Tindall finds life without him strange.

“It’s really difficult,” he said. “Especially as Eddie’s never missed more than a day or two in the whole time we’ve been working together. It’s a new situation for me, it’s a new situation for the players and the staff.

“But your health is the most important thing and I think the thing that sort of almost gives you comfort is that he’s in the best hands possible. He’s not a silly guy. Eddie will take notice of what’s said to him and he’ll make sure he’s fully recovered when he comes back.

“The sooner he’s back it’s the best for everybody but only at a time when he feels he’s ready to return and he’s 100% ready to lead the team.”

Tindall, who will be assisted by first-team coach Graeme Jones, has challenged Newcastle’s players to preserve their ferociously high standards in Howe’s absence.

“The players will have to stand up and be counted in the remaining games whether the manager’s here or not,” he said. “The players know the expectations, the standards and it’s down to everyone to maintain them.”

Tindall remained coy regarding reports in Spain that Newcastle have won the race to sign the highly regarded 18-year-old Málaga winger Antonio Cordero after seeing off competition from Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Cordero has made 51 appearances for Málaga, scoring six goals but, after declining to sign a new contract in Andalucia, becomes a free agent in June and has been talking to assorted clubs since January.