The Magpies have been hit by injuries to key players throughout the campaign, and Howe will still be without Bruno Guimarães and Lewis Miley for the game at Stamford Bridge.

But a handful of players, including Tino Livramento, Joelinton, William Osula and Sven Botman have returned to action in recent weeks to give United a timely boost.

Howe provided updates on Guimarães and Miley, and also spoke about Anthony Gordon, Joelinton and former Chelsea defender Lewis Hall, whose performance against Barcelona in midweek felt like a coming of age moment in what had already been a hugely impressive campaign.

Here are some of the main talking points from Howe's meeting with the media on Friday:

On team news...

"We've got a healthy squad at the moment, healthier than it has been with Tino (Livramento) coming back. Every player that we get back is such a big lift to the group's strength and the quality. Hopefully there's a few more on the horizon that will make a big difference to us, and then we'll see the real strength of the squad as the season draws to an end."

On switching focus from Barcelona to Chelsea...

"The players have responded pretty well, I think. Of course it was big disappointment to the end of the game (but) a lot of pride in the performance overall. This season, the players have built up really good resilience to results and disappointments and successes. We've had to take everything in our stride, because we know we've got another game just around the corner and you can't let what happened in one game affect the next.

"So we've tried very quickly to get our focus onto Chelsea. We know the week ahead's a big one, but we have to concentrate on this game.

"There's mental challenges for this game that we're going to have to try and get right, because obviously there'll be a lot of focus on the Barcelona game, and rightly so. But this game's a very tough one if we're not focused 100 per cent on Chelsea. They're a good team, a dangerous team. They've got some very good players, so playing them away from home in its own right in the Premier League will be viewed as one of the toughest away games we'll have. We can't go there under-prepared so it's a big job today to get the players ready."

On Anthony Gordon, who was ill earlier in the week...

"He trained yesterday, so feels better. I do have to clear something up with Anthony Gordon. He was absolutely willing to play in the game against Barcelona. It was my decision not to start him, based on the fact that he'd been ill that morning and hadn't attended the training session. So he was prepared to play, but in consultation with the medical team we didn't think he was fit to play.

"I'd categorise him as a winner. He wants to win everything, he's a real competitor, he's got that streak to him that I think all top players need where he's very single-minded, very focused on his development and his game.

"I can only speak really glowingly of him this year. It hasn't been a straightforward season for him - he's had a lot of challenges, as every player does, but I think he's probably in the best moment that he's been this season, currently, and he's playing really well. He's played a different role for us but adapted to that really well. There's a lot of pressure and a lot of media attention on him, and rightly so - he's an England international, he'll have his own aims and goals that he wants to achieve, but I think he's done really well."

On Lewis Miley's return...

"We were hoping that he'd be fit for (Barcelona away) and I don't actually know if that's deviated at all. He's not training with the group currently. He's on the grass now, running again and working incredibly hard, but all the feedback I've had from the medical team is that we just have to be careful with this injury. We don't want it to turn into something a lot more serious. So it's gone on longer than anyone had hoped but the main thing is that he comes back fit."

On Joelinton...

"He's a huge player for us. When Joe plays like he has done the last few games, I think we're a different team because of him. He brings that steel, mobility, to our midfield - a lot of quality as well. Joe's an outstanding player in his own right.

"So he's a player that really lifts the team when he's in a good place. I think the key for us has been trying to keep him fit, because he gives so much to every game. Entering the next game in a good physical place, that's key for us. He's had his injury troubles this year and we're desperate to keep him on the pitch."

On Lewis Hall, who joined United from Chelsea in the summer of 2023...

"I think it was a really smart piece of business by us to acquire Lewis when we did. It was always with a longer term view - we knew he wouldn't come straight into the team, but we wanted to bring someone in that we feel could develop into that position. You never quite know how it's going to go - he had a really tough first year to do a lot of work behind the scenes. In that time he had to really show mental strength and patience and commit to his development and he's reaped the benefits from that season onwards.

"He's grabbed his chance in the team, and he's one of those players, I'd say, who is playing his best football currently. And I think there's loads more to come from them - there's still areas of his game to focus on and improve, but he's got a lot of strengths that not many players in that position have. That's what makes him stand out and catch the eye, so we hope that we can continue to stay here for a long time."

On Bruno Guimarães' progress...

"He's back on Monday. Typical Bruno, he wants to come to Barcelona and support the team. We hope that he won't be too far away once he's back with us. We'll obviously have to assess him, I know he's been working incredibly hard on his rehab with the Brazilian national team physios and doctors, so I think he'd be in a good place. He's such a big player, so I'd love to think by the time the international break has ended, he'd be back fit and available."