Newcastle boss Eddie Howe says Matt Targett is in his plans.

However, he admits Dan Burn is ahead of him at left-back.

Howe told Chronicle Live: "I would not say he wasn't at the same level (as his first season) last season. I think the difficulty was Dan Burn got in the team and our defensive record was excellent and I didn't want to change it.

"I don't think it (Targett's lack of starts) was a criticism of Matt's level or how he performed. I think Matt is a very consistent player with his performance levels in general.

"Against Fiorentina was another steady performance defensively. He contributes with the ball, him and Dan are very different players. Dan just had an outstanding season with our back four and it was difficult for Matt to get back in."