United currently have the best-performing backline in the top flight, having conceded just 11 goals in their 18 Premier League games so far.

After Tuesday night's 2-0 Carabao Cup quarter-final victory over Leicester City, the Magpies return to league action this weekend hoping to consolidate their place in the top four with a result against the upwardly-mobile Cottagers at St. James' Park.

Marco Silva's men - who have won their last five games in all competitions - lifted themselves up to sixth in the table with their win over Chelsea on Thursday night and they now sit just four points behind Newcastle in what is their first season back in the top division after their promotion from the Championship last term.

Head coach Howe sat down to speak to the media at the Magpies' Benton training base on Friday morning. Here are some of the main talking points from the United boss' pre-match briefing:

On the prospect of facing Southampton in the Carabao Cup semi-finals...

"It's a tough game, but we're just pleased to be in it. It's a two-legged semi-final, so we're looking forward to that.

"It's on the horizon for us, and I think it's given us a lot of positivity, and hopefully the whole club and the supporters a lot of positivity as well. But at the moment, our focus now turns to the Premier League."

On the latest injury news from inside the Magpies camp...

"Matt Targett and Jonjo Shelvey continue their journies back - I think they've both respectively been doing well, but they're still some time away.

"Apart from that, I think we're pretty much OK. We've got a lot of our loan players at the moment who've picked up injuries out and about over the country - Matty Longstaff's just had his operation on his ACL, so we wish him well, and we wish all those other lads well as well."

On Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak, and the club's options in the centre forward position...

"Of course they could be on the pitch together. I have to evaluate every game and every situation that we face and try and balance the fact that you want two attackers on the pitch, but you don't want to damage the balance of the team.

"They're two outstanding players in their own right. In the game the other day, I decided to replace Callum - we're nursing him back from a bad illness - and I thought Callum did well, and Alex did well. Both players respectively are looking good."

On Isak's last week as he continues to work towards regaining full fitness after a long spell out injured...

"He's responded very well physically - there've been no ill effects. He's trained well this week off the back of that cameo (against Leicester on Tuesday). I think we have to be very careful with him, just with the length of time he'd been out and the type of injury that he had.

"He's done all the work, he's looked in good condition, he's looked confident and he's very keen to be involved. But I think we need him for the long term, and it's great to have a very strong choice in the centre forward unit at the moment."

On Silva's newly-promoted Fulham and their excellent recent results...

"They're very much in good form. I think Marco's done a very, very good job with the team. I'm very impressed with the style of play. They're not getting results by anything other than (being) a very cohesive team unit, playing a lot of really good football.

"Tactically, they're very interesting, and they've got players in form so they're a dangerous opponent from our perspective. I think it will be a good test of our defensive capabilities, with two very good teams - and form teams - going at it."

On young Australian forward Garang Kuol and his loan move to Scottish Premiership side Hearts...

"I think when you give a player an opportunity to go on loan, it's very much a personal choice. I think from a football club we can advise and give our opinion, but ultimately, it's down to the player himself as to what his feeling is, what his gut feeling is, when he meets the manager and the coaches and visits the club.

"That's what we did - we gave him an opportunity to go and visit people and see the environment, and Hearts was his choice, and we very much respect and back that."