Newcastle have been hit with two fresh injury blows over the past week with midfielders Bruno Guimaraes and Elliot Anderson both being assessed. Anderson trained ahead of the match against Fulham on Sunday but wasn’t included in the squad due to a suspected calf issue.
Guimaraes started the match as expected but had to be withdrawn at half-time after twisting his ankle midway through the first half. The Brazilian has been assessed with no serious injury found when his ankle was scanned on Monday.
Guimaraes has also hinted he could return ‘faster than ever’ ahead of a crucial run of fixtures for The Magpies, who are 14 games unbeaten in the Premier League. Eddie Howe’s side currently sit third in the table and will be looking to extend their unbeaten run at Crystal Palace this weekend.
They then have a crucial Carabao Cup semi-final at Southampton next Tuesday before playing the home fixture back at St James’s Park the following week. Injuries to Guimaraes and Anderson leaves Newcastle light in midfield with Jonjo Shelvey also ruled out.
Howe could be tempted to dip into the transfer market in the coming weeks to help bolster his squad going into the second half of the season.
Here is Newcastle United’s current injury list and estimated return dates for each player...
1. Joe Willock - hamstring
Joe Willock was a concern following Sunday’s win over Manchester United as he was taken off with a potential hamstring issue. Eddie Howe was unable to provide a fitness update ahead of the trip to West Ham United on Tuesday but the club posted a photo of the midfielder taking part in training ahead of the match. What Howe said: “Joe Willock’s the obvious one. He was feeling his hamstring, but he wasn’t sure if it was cramp or something more sinister. So we’ll wait and see. A couple more players just nursing little things because of the physical game that it was.” Estimated return date: 05/03 - West Ham (A) Photo: OLI SCARFF
2. Miguel Almiron - thigh
Top scorer Miguel Almiron was forced to withdraw from international duty with Paraguay after picking up a thigh injury in training at Newcastle. He is now facing an extended spell on the sidelines. What Howe said: “Miggy pulled a thigh muscle in training. Unfortunately, it’s quite a bad one. It’s going to be six weeks.” Estimated return date: 30/04 - Southampton (H) Photo: LINDSEY PARNABY
3. Emil Krafth - ACL
The Swedish right-back is has been out for the majority of the season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament against Tranmere in August. What Howe said: “There’s a very, very slim chance, I wouldn’t hold out much hope that we’ll see him before the end of the season.” Estimated return date: Pre season Photo: PAUL ELLIS
4. Ryan Fraser - training with Under-21s
Ryan Fraser is not part of Eddie Howe’s first team plans at the moment and is expected to be moved on from the club in the summer. He is unlikely to feature again this season. What Howe said: “I made the decision to concentrate on players that are committed to Newcastle. For the benefit of the group, I’ve made that call.” Estimated return date: Unknown Photo: Ian MacNicol