This blow has 'devastated' Steve Bruce at Newcastle United

Steve Bruce says he’s “devastated” at losing Matt Ritchie for at least another month.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The Newcastle United winger has been sidelined since late August, when he suffered an ankle injury in the club’s Carabao Cup defeat to Leicester City.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Matt’s a blow – we’re all disappointed,” said head coach Bruce, who labelled Hamza Choudhury’s tackle on Ritchie as a “horror challenge” at the time. “Nothing worse for a player than having an operation like he did and the surgeon decides he needs a bit more. We’re all devastated.

Matt Ritchie.Matt Ritchie.
Matt Ritchie.

“He had a period of rest, saw the specialist and had the operation the next morning. We hope he’s back early January. It happens in football – I said at the time it was a bad challenge – but it’s worse when the player is out for a long time.”