Newcastle United have suffered yet another huge blow, with club captain Jamaal Lascelles suffering an ACL injury that will see him out for at least six months.
The Magpies served up one of the best spectacles of the Premier League season at St James’ Park this weekend with an epic 4-3 comeback against West Ham United to close the gap on the European qualification spots.
Indeed, Eddie Howe will be thrilled with the way his squad turned the game around in the second half, however, it was a bittersweet result as several players on the pitch fell victim to becoming part of the massive injury crisis at the North East club.
Jamaal Lascelles, Miguel Almiron, Emile Krafth and Valentino Livramento were all hooked prematurely after suffering injuries during the clash with the Hammers and it has now come to light just how severe the situation has become.
Lascelles was drafted into the starting eleven to cover for Sven Botman, who, after undergoing surgery, is recovering from an ACL injury, but now Howe’s worst nightmare may have just come true, as the 30-year-old centre-back has now also endured an ACL injury too.
In a statement, the club has revealed (via BBC Sport):
“After seeing a specialist consultant, he is expected to undergo surgery next week and will be out for six to nine months.
“Everyone at Newcastle United extends their best wishes to Jamaal for a full and speedy recovery.”
What next for Newcastle?
There is no doubt that the injury issues will be incredibly frustrating for Howe heading into the final fixtures of the season, as anything less than qualification for some level of European football will surely feel like a failure for the former Bournemouth boss.
It is no secret that Newcastle have been a shadow of themselves in comparison to last season, when they finished fourth in the Premier League and qualified for Champions League football, as they are currently 16 points adrift from their previous finishing position.
Having said that, their victory of David Moyes’ side meant they went one point behind them in the race for a seventh or, more ambitiously, a sixth place finish.
Indeed, injuries have played a huge factor in the failure to emulate last season’s performances, but there will be big question marks over the next steps that are needed to get Newcastle consistently challenging when they look to reinvest yet again this summer.
With that being said, Lascelles long term injury will be another obstacle for Newcastle to overcome in the remaining weeks of the season, but if they can pull together in a similar fashion to how they did against West Ham, there is no reason why they can’t confidently finish with European football for next season.
