Emil Krafth suffered a bad knee injury and has missed the entire season.
He is back training, but the club is cautious about his return to the first team.
Steve Bruce won't put pressure on Krafth to return before next season.
There is hope that Krafth could play before May 28, but Howe won't rush his return.
Krafth's recovery is going well, but the injury was a big blow for the club.
Krafth is moving more fluently now and is confident about his recovery.
The club hopes to implement him back into training very lightly before the end of the season.
However, it is uncertain if he will feature in a squad before the end of the season.
The focus is on next year for Krafth's return to the first team.
The club wants to ensure Krafth's full recovery before bringing him back.