Steve Bruce isn't smiling at Newcastle United after losing Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron to injuries

Worryingly, the names of Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron, two of Bruce’s most influential players, have now been added to Newcastle United’s injured list after they limped out of tonight’s 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

And the prospect of being without Saint-Maximin and Almiron as well as Callum Wilson for any length of time will trouble Bruce – and the relegation-threatened club’s fans.

Newcastle dominated much of the first half, but the loss of Almiron at the break and Saint-Maximin in the second half badly affected Bruce’s side, who took the lead through a goal from captain Jamaal Lascelles.

Losing Wilson was bad enough, but Bruce really can’t afford to be without Saint-Maximin and Almiron in the coming weeks.

The result saw the 17th-placed club stretch the gap between themselves and third-bottom Fulham to four points.Bruce had dismissed the reaction of fans on Tyneside to his post-match chat with Ole Gunnar Solskajer – a clip of him smiling was widely circulated on social media after last Sunday’s 3-1 defeat to Mancehster United at Old Trafford – ahead of the visit of Wolves to St James’s Park.

Asked about the criticism, Bruce said: “A lot of fans – or is that you (the media)?”

Bruce recalled Martin Dubravka in goal for his “experience and know-how”.

The goalkeeper was vocal in the early stages as Newcastle pressed for an opening goal. Dubravka bellowed to his team-mates as they pushed and probed their visitors, who spent much of the first half on the back foot.

Isaac Hayden put a free header straight at Rui Patricio, while Almiron, at the heart of everything, struck the post. Even Emil Kratfh had a shot on goal on a rare foray upfield. Joelinton – who kept his place after recovering from the groin injury which forced him off last weekend – also tried his luck.

United played with intelligence and intensity, but they couldn’t get a breakthrough, and Wolves had a good spell late in the half.

Worryingly, Almiron – who had needed treatment in the first half – didn’t reappear after the break, and the midfielder was replaced by Ryan Fraser.

Fraser made a quick impact. The winger picked up the ball on the right after Saint-Maximin delivered a cross from the left. Fraser delivered the ball into the box, and Lascelles beat Patricio with a near-post header to give United a 52nd-minute lead.

The strike was Lascelles’s first in the Premier League since he netted in a 1-1 home draw against Wolves in October 2019.

That was as good as it got for Newcastle, who lost Saint-Maximin to injury just past the hour-mark.

Things got worse in the 73rd minute when Neves, left unmarked, beat Dubravka with a well-placed header from a Pedro Neto cross.

Wolves pushed for a winner, but United held on to claim what they hope will prove to be an important point.

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