Luke Edwards of The Telegraph has labelled Newcastle United's Allan Saint-Maximin as 'rusty' following his performance at the weekend.

The Lowdown: Underwhelming ASM

In their latest Premier League clash, Saint-Maximin lost possession on 13 occasions for Eddie Howe's side and only completed 65% of his passes in 69 minutes.

The match against West Ham United was the Frenchman's first start in the league for the Magpies since August against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Towards the end of 2022, the player had a number of injury issues which led to him missing several matches in a black and white shirt.

The Latest: Saint-Maximin looks 'rusty'

Edwards claimed that the player looks a little bit off the pace when speaking about his recent performances on Sky Sports' Sunday Supplement.

He stated: "Allan Saint-Maximin was Newcastle's star player, their bright spark amid the gloom, as it were, under Steve Bruce - and to a certain extent again last season under Eddie Howe.

"He looked rusty, [it was] his first start since August. They need more from him because he hasn't taken on his fair share of the workload this season. He's back in the team now, they need a lot more from Allan Saint-Maximin."

The Verdict: He needs time

We believe that Saint-Maximin needs time to settle upon his return from the injuries he suffered recently, and they could still be a factor in his recent performances.

Since the match against Wolves, the 25-year-old has not been handed a lot of minutes on the pitch, and sometimes it is hard as a substitute to hit your stride and settle into the tempo of a game.

The Frenchman showed glimpses of his former self against Southampton in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.

Howe praised Saint-Maximin when speaking to NUFC TV, lauding his performance at St Mary's and claiming he offered a 'different dimension' to the side.

Before last season, the winger was a real creative force for the Toon and was close to sustaining 10 goal contributions a season.

Talent doesn't disappear overnight and we believe that there will have to be some patience if we're to see the best of Allan Saint-Maximin at Newcastle before the end of the current campaign.