This is why Steve Bruce is 'battening down the hatches' at Newcastle United

Bruce lost Allan Saint-Maximin and Fabian Schar to injuries in last night’s 3-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at St James’s Park, and captain Jamaal Lascelles underwent ankle surgery on the eve of the Premier League game.

Bruce could be without seven senior players, along with the ineligible Paul Dummett, for Monday night’s game against Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium.

United’s head coach has blamed the hectic restart schedule for the club’s injury problems problems, with his team having played eight league and cup games in 25 days.

“Certainly, (the schedule) benefits the bigger teams,” said Bruce. “They can make five or six changes, and their strength doesn’t change.

"Look, Fab Schar goes over, and unfortunately dislocates his shoulder, then you’ve got arguably your two fittest boys that we’ve got on our books, Sean Longstaff and Isaac Hayden, nick a hamstring, then it’s the consequence of players playing tired, and not recovering though.

"We haven’t got that luxury of changing five or six. We knew it was hectic. We batten down the hatches, get on with it, and try and finish as high as we can.”

Newcastle are 13th in the Premier League table ahead of the Brighton game.

"We knew we had a tough start and a tough finish,” said Bruce. “We’ve got to go down to Brighton and see if we can get a result there.”