Howe reported no new injury problems for Sunday’s game but Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson will not be fit enough to be considered for selection.

On Lewis Hall’s first call-up to the England squad: “I’m delighted for Lewis. I think he’s had a very good start to the season – he’s been very consistent and put in some mature performances. There’s still a lot more to come.” His. We see it evolve every week. “It’s a great achievement for someone so young.”

Reflecting on his third anniversary in charge of Newcastle, Howe joked: “It feels good to still be here!” And he added: “When you arrive (at a new club) you are never sure how things are going to go. You arrive with the best intentions and many dreams, but also uncertainty and some insecurities because you are going into the unknown. I remember a lot of positive memories and good feelings. I am very satisfied with how it has gone and I continue dreaming of what awaits us.

On his hopes for his fourth year at Newcastle: “We are looking for progression and improvement. We are seeing a very tight Premier League this year. Consistency is a big word for us and if we can find the ability to win consecutive games, whatever teams are able to put together those winning sequences will have the best chance of success.

Forest are third in the Premier League after 10 games and Howe said of Sunday’s opponents: “Nuno (Espirito Santo) deserves huge credit for the job he has done. They have recruited very well in recent windows. They have a way of “That really works for them and it’s very difficult to play against them. You can see in their defensive record the test that scoring against them will be, and that has given them the platform to score on the other end.”

On Forest’s former Newcastle striker Chris Wood: “I’m delighted for Chris on a personal level because for me I never lost how well he played for us. He did everything but score, but his positive performances were very important in our efforts to stay in the league, especially that first season when he joined.”