Newcastle travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Monday but will be without Fabian Schar after he picked up a serious knee injury.
The 29-year-old underwent an operation earlier in the week and has been ruled out until April, so Steve Bruce will be forced to make a change at centre-back against the Blues.
The Magpies boss went into more detail in Thursday’s pre-match press conference, saying: “(Schar’s) had an operation on his ligament in his knee. Knowing the way Fab is, he’ll try everything he possibly can to get himself fit because of the Euros, of course. He’s had the operation on Tuesday, so it’s eight weeks maybe.”
Schar has made 17 appearances in all competitions this season and has made more interceptions per game (1.6) than any other Newcastle defender, so he’ll be a loss for the Magpies. Bruce was already without Jamaal Lascelles, Federico Fernández and Ciaran Clark in last Saturday’s 3-2 win over Southampton, so the Tynesiders were at risk of being without a natural centre-back against Chelsea.
Bruce has been forced into naming a flat back four since mid-January as he has not had three defenders fit at the same time. The Newcastle manager had to name Isaac Hayden as a makeshift centre-back against Southampton due to a lack of available options, but he should have Lascelles, Fernández and Clark at his disposal in the coming days.
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News of Schar’s injury is a blow, but it’s good news that three centre-backs could make their return against Chelsea as it allows Bruce to revert to his preferred three-man backline from earlier in the season.
It would certainly be a timely return if that is the case, as we won’t be seeing the Swiss defender again until Easter at the earliest.
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