This time last year, Newcastle United were managing a relentless injury crisis that showed no signs of easing, with a long list of players constantly sidelined.
This season has been a very different story and it’s thought James Bunce’s arrival has had a positive impact, with the number of muscle injuries down considerably on last year.
However, we did leave Birmingham with a number of concerns as Dan Burn (groin) hobbled off on a night that also saw Sven Botman (knee) and Anthony Gordon (quad) miss out through injury.
The Mail’s Craig Hope has this morning issued a Newcastle United ‘exclusive’ on our injury situation, sharing some good news for Eddie Howe following scans this week.
Starting with Gordon, it’s believed his quad issue has ‘cleared’, meaning he will be fit for this Saturday’s trip to Man City; who lost Jack Grealish and Manuel Akanji to injury last night in a 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid.
Burn and Botman have both avoided serious injuries and have an outside chance of making this weekend’s game in Manchester after ‘positive’ scan results.
Hope reports that both are not pain free and late calls will be made on their inclusion, but they have NOT suffered injuries that could impact their availability in the build up to March’s Carabao Cup final against Liverpool. Should both miss out, Emil Krath is in line to start at Man City alongside Fabian Schar.
Last but not least, Harvey Barnes is still thought to be two weeks away from a thigh injury that’s kept him out since our 3-1 win over Bromley in early January.
At the time, Howe suggested the former Leicester winger would be missing for a month, but he looks on course to return at the end of the month ahead of our FA Cup fifth round tie against Brighton.
Ironically, Newcastle sanctioned Lloyd Kelly’s loan-to-buy move to Juventus knowing we had plenty of options at left centre-back.
Since then, Botman has suffered a knock to his knee (the opposite knee that he had ACL surgery on) and Burn’s groin went at Birmingham.
Thankfully both are OK, and the same can be said on Gordon. Anything serious for the winger would’ve left us seriously light on options out wide with Almiron sold, Barnes still out for another two weeks and Murphy our only fit right winger.