Newcastle United’s injury concerns have worsened as they approach a busy series of fixtures, following their recent Champions League loss to Borussia Dortmund at St James’ Park.
The Magpies’ 1-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund, with Felix Nmecha scoring the decisive goal in the 45th minute, was marred by injuries to Alexander Isak and Jacob Murphy.
Isak, who had returned to the starting lineup in place of Callum Wilson, suffered a thigh injury just 14 minutes into the game. Meanwhile, Murphy, who came on as a substitute, sustained what appears to be a dislocated shoulder just five minutes after entering the field.
Magpies’ head coach Eddie Howe expressed his concern, stating, “It’s still early to assess, but Alex seems to have aggravated his previous groin injury from international duty. As for Jacob, it looks like a possible dislocated shoulder. I’m more concerned about Jacob at the moment. I’m absolutely devastated for him. We’ll have to wait and see how severe it is, but he has been a key player for us, contributing in various positions, and his strong character will be missed.”
Following the match, Howe also confirmed that Elliot Anderson is expected to be sidelined for a few weeks due to a back injury. The list of absentees is growing as Newcastle faces a hectic few weeks of matches, commencing with an upcoming game against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday evening.
Newcastle will then confront Manchester United in the Carabao Cup, followed by matches against Arsenal and Bournemouth in the Premier League, and a Champions League encounter against Borussia Dortmund.
Howe acknowledged the challenges posed by the injuries, saying, “It’s a bit unusual because some of the injuries, like Murph’s shoulder tonight and Elliot’s back, are quite complex to comprehend, but they occurred. We must adapt; that’s our only option. We cannot spend too much time analyzing.
At this point, it’s about moving forward and regrouping. We have a significant match against Wolves ahead. We are still in a strong position in both the Champions League and the Premier League. Every player in the squad is crucial, and we need to come together during this period.”
In addition to the aforementioned players, Newcastle is also without Harvey Barnes (foot), Sven Botman (knee), and Lewis Miley (glandular fever). However, they did receive a boost with the return of Joe Willock in the match against Dortmund.”
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