A section of Newcastle United fans have taken to Twitter to express their worry after defender DeAndre Yedlin sustained an apparent knee injury during their opening 2-1 defeat to Tottenham.
The right-back landed awkwardly on his knee following a challenge for the ball in the corner of the pitch, with the player looking to be in pain for a period of time.
90+1' – Yedlin tumbles to the ground after trying to keep a searching Lascelles ball in play. After a stoppage, the injury forces the American to leave the pitch. 1-2. #NUFC
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) August 11, 2018
The USA international was helped off the pitch, but boss Rafa Benitez was unable to make anymore substitutions after already making three – meaning that the Magpies were down to ten players in the latter stages of the match.
Reacting to the first-team blow, one fan even said that his injury was a “disaster.”
Nothing but Newcastle has rounded up some of the best tweets below:
Just as well we've got plenty of cover…. #NUFC
— Robbie Bell (@robiez1) August 11, 2018
It looked bad hopefully it’s just a 6 week lay off nd not a season ender for him! We have absolutely no cover in full back positions
— David Shepherd (@Dave_S26) August 11, 2018
Yedlin goes of the pitch for treatment. Hope it’s not that serious! #NEWTOT #NUFC #HWTL
— ToonArmy (@toonarmy_com) August 11, 2018
Unlikely today – we’ll play worse & win this season. Yedlin injury is a disaster though…..#nufc
— Dave Parish (@paz_parish) August 11, 2018
Yedlin getting hurt made an otherwise decent looking start feel so terrible #nufc
— Nicholas (@CAAARRLL89) August 11, 2018
Rondon, Muto and Fernandez to start next week. Don’t take Ritchie off for Atsu. We will improve but the Yedlin injury worries me. #nufc
— Bobby Norris (@wonderbonzi) August 11, 2018
Only caught second half. Decent performance. Injury to Yedlin a huge huge worry. Lack of spending already coming to fruition #NUFC
— SRELLAIN (@SRELLAIN) August 11, 2018
Our lack of full backs is gonna be a right ball ache this season. Did not look good for Yedlin at all #NUFC
— Stuart Herd (@Stuart_Herd) August 11, 2018
OPINION
Rafa Benitez will certainly regret not bringing in any full-back cover now Yedlin has picked up an injury in their season opener. He will now need to turn to players with a lack of experience to cover him in the next game against Cardiff. It is not surprising that the United fans are worried about the injury, especially as Yedlin had a decent game at right back for the Magpies. That hard work will now be undone, and as one fan put it, his injury made ‘an otherwise decent start feel so terrible.’ Benitez will be pleased with his team’s overall performance despite the defeat, but Yedlin’s injury has somewhat tainted it. The Spaniard will now feel the full effect of not splashing the cash on full-back cover this summer, as he now only has Paul Dummett, Javier Manquillo and the rarely-used Achraf Lazaar as options to fill the role temporarily. This injury has left Newcastle widely exposed at right-back – and they only have Mike Ashley to blame.
