Steve Bruce clarifies Allan Saint-Maximin's absence from Newcastle United squad amid Covid-19 infections

Bruce's side won 2-0 at Selhurst Park last night thanks to goals from Callum Wilson and Joelinton. The result lifted the club up to 10th place in the Premier League.

Allan Saint-Maximin – who has struggled for form since signing a new contract last month – stayed behind on Tyneside, though he was not one of those players who tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of the fixture. Instead, the winger complained of a calf problem before and after the final training session on Friday.

“Allan unfortunately picked up a calf injury,” said head coach Bruce. “He was complaining about it before training, and then afterwards he wasn’t right, so unfortunately he’s picked up a calf. We’ll see how bad it is over the next couple of days.”

On the game, Bruce added: “Callum’s a goalscorer – he has that instinct. That's his seventh goal now – and that's a tremendous return."

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