If there was any time Newcastle fans would feel confident of getting a result against Liverpool, who they come up against on Saturday, it would be following a victory, a draw, and an impressive cup display.
However, manager Steve Bruce has hit Newcastle fans with some worrying news, confirming that midfielder Sean Longstaff will miss Saturday’s clash due to an ankle injury sustained in training.
The academy graduate will be a huge miss for the Toon after his introduction to the starting lineup has led to a small run of impressive performances, after being benched in the loss at Norwich.
This injury would come as a distraction at any point of the season, but it has come at the worst possible time for Steve Bruce, who would have hoped Longstaff would replicate his display at Tottenham, where Newcastle kept a clean sheet.
Speaking of the injury, Bruce said:
He goes to stop a cross, and gets his ankle caught. It’s one of those freak ones that unfortunately happen. We’re all disappointed. We’ve lost a player to a freak accident.
Let’s see how the fans have reacted to the news…
Time for Matty?
Twitter: @NUFC @LFC Stick matty in there instead, done. (@Shaund442)
Why…
Twitter: @NUFC @LFC Why are our players always injured. There must be something wrong going on in training (@johnneilbrown)
Massive loss…
Twitter: Massive loss to the team. Two of the four dynamos in this side – RITCHIE, LONGSTAFF, Almiron & Hayden – OUT at #LFC… https://t.co/XMkHDvDTF4 (@LiamJKennedy23)
Bad luck…
Twitter: @milesstarforth When you keep getting such bad luck, over and over again, when you haven’t had this kind of luck fo… https://t.co/wkdwRnzDJs (@TomItsnot)
READ NEWCASTLE VERDICT
It is clear that the Newcastle fans are disappointed about the news and are probably fearing the worst ahead of the trip to Anfield.
It is interesting to see how Bruce approaches the match, will Newcastle adopt the same system they did at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, or will we see a change in formation and tactics?
