Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe’s one-word response to Ryan Fraser question

Fraser, under contract until 2025, has been training with the third-placed club’s Under-21s for almost two months.

Howe pointedly said last month that he only wanted “committed” players in his first-team group when asked about Fraser.

And the club will look to move the 29-year-old on in the summer.

Speaking on March 3, Howe said: “Ryan’s training with the Under-21s. I made the decision to concentrate on players that are committed to Newcastle. For the benefit of the group, I’ve made that call.”

Asked if Fraser had a future at the club, Howe added: “I think that’s a difficult one for me to answer, because I’d never put a firm decision on that, because life and football can change quickly, but, I’d say at the moment, no he doesn’t.”

Howe – who previously worked with Fraser at Bournemouth – was asked if there was a changed in Fraser’s situation ahead of tomorrow’s game against Aston Villa at Villa Park.

United’s head coach replied: “No.”

Fraser joined the club as a free agent in the summer of 2020 after his Bournemouth contract expired.

Howe had described Fraser as a “valued member of the squad” in January when asked why the Scotland international – who hasn’t played a game since October – hadn’t been on the bench.

“He’s a valued member of the squad,” said Howe. “I know him better than anybody, I know what he’s capable of, so I’d love to see him back in a Newcastle shirt.”

Fraser had opted not to sign a short-term contract extension allowing him to play for Bournemouth when the Premier League restarted following a hiatus for Covid-19 in early 2020.

The club, then managed by Howe, was relegated at the end of the delayed 2019/20 season, and Fraser addressed his decision not to play on after joining Newcastle.

Speaking at the time, Fraser said: “I never wanted it to end like that, from what we went through from start to finish.

“No-one saw that this virus would come. If this virus didn’t come, I would have played every game under my contract.

“Everyone’s got their opinions. I respect everyone’s opinion, good or bad. I wasn’t under contract, so I didn’t feel like I should play the games … (in case) I get an injury.”