Newcastle United enjoyed a 3-2 win over Southampton on Saturday, but the win came at a price for Javier Manquillo. The 26-year-old damaged his ankle ligaments and was replaced by Emil Krafth in the 26th minute.
Manquillo will miss Monday’s meeting with Chelsea but won’t be the only one. Callum Wilson also came off early against Southampton after injuring his hamstring and was ruled out for up to eight weeks.
Steve Bruce confirmed the bad news in Thursday’s press conference and predicts that Manquillo will be sidelined for a similar period as Wilson. He said: “Manquillo did his ankle ligaments. He could be the same length of time (as Wilson).”
The 26-year-old Spaniard has made 12 appearances in all competitions this season. He featured only twice in the Premier League between mid-October and mid-January but has started four of Newcastle’s last five league games. [Transfermarkt]
With DeAndre Yedlin joining Galatasaray on a permanent deal last month, Bruce is now left with just Emil Krafth at right-back. The Sweden international has made 10 appearances across the board this season and will be better for having more than an hour of playing time against Southampton.
The 26-year-old is expected to start on Monday and has a big opportunity to nail down a regular starting place with his direct competition unavailable.
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Manquillo will be missed as he had worked his way back into the team after a lengthy absence, but Bruce at least has another natural right-back to call upon.
Opportunity knows for Krafth to make the most of his team-mate’s misfortune not only over the next few weeks but beyond.
