Newcastle United have been dealt a double injury blow, with Luke Edwards revealing via The Telegraph that the Magpies are set to be without both Allan Saint-Maximin and Ryan Fraser for most of January.
The Magpies are still recovering from the after-effects of a breakout in virus infections at their training ground, and Saint-Maximin is one of the players affected. Already suffering a calf injury, he has not yet been able to return to action and that has not helped Bruce’s side, who are enduring a challenging period in which they have lost three of their last four matches, including a Carabao Cup exit after a poor display at Brentford.
Fraser was also a notable absentee from the squad for the trip to Manchester City at the weekend, with Bruce revealing that the winger missed out through a groin injury he suffered in the defeat to the Bees. That came after he had only just managed to get himself back into the team following an earlier hamstring injury.
Initially, there was no timescale provided for Fraser’s injury, but Edwards’ latest report suggests that he will be out for at least the next few weeks and will be likely to miss the start of 2021. Saint-Maximin is also unlikely to be back in action any time soon, with the Frenchman also set to be absent for most of January.
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Newcastle do not seem to be able to catch a break at the moment on or off the field. Bruce needs all of his most important players fit and available following a challenging period which has seen pressure mount on him amid a downturn in form. Instead, he will keep needing to try and pull through without Saint-Maximin and Fraser.
Saint-Maximin’s absence is understandable and many Newcastle fans will be wishing him a speedy recovery and hoping he can get back on the field as soon as possible. However, Fraser could be more of a concern, with the winger now having suffered two lengthy injuries in less than half a season since he made the move from Bournemouth in the summer.
The Scotland international had not been a regular starter at the beginning of the campaign, but he had started to show a few signs that he could get back to form and push for a regular starting role. This latest setback will delay his progress and could raise question marks over his ability to stay fully fit for a prolonged period.
