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And the illness has hit the key duo so hard they will definitely not be available for Newcastleโs nightmare run of festive fixtures against Manchester City, Liverpool and Leicester.
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| Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce |
Newcastle manager Steve Bruce says he cannot put a timeframe on the returns of star man Allan Saint-Maximin and captain Jamaal Lascelles as both continue to suffer the after-effects of Covid-19.
There were rumours circulating that the pair had been absent from the team lately due to a bust-up, but it has since been confirmed they had tested positive for coronavirus.
And the illness has hit the key duo so hard they will definitely not be available for Newcastleโs nightmare run of festive fixtures against Manchester City, Liverpool and Leicester.
โThereโs been a lot written, so Iโll try and put the record straight,โ said Bruce.
โThey are not ready to return until the doctors tell us. Theyโve got symptoms. Everybodyโs different with the symptoms.
โCertainly we expect them to be back but how long? I really canโt put a timeframe on it. Probably Jamaal before Allan.
โBut we hope we can see an improvement in the both of them and they can join the squad in the next week, two weeks, maybe.โ
Saint-Maximin is arguably the clubโs most creative player and his presence has been sorely missed.
The 23-year-old winger returned home to France to recuperate with his family.
โHeโs only a young fella, and itโs wherever he wanted to decide to self-isolate,โ added Bruce.
โHe had 10 days back in Newcastle and has proved negative with a test. But itโs the after-effects that the medical people are not happy with at the moment. We just have to accept it.โ
The pressure is mounting on Bruce following a rocky patch on and off the pitch, culminating in Tuesday nightโs Carabao Cup quarter-final defeat at Championship Brentford.
The last thing the 59-year-old needs on Boxing Day is a trip to City, the scene of a 5-0 defeat last season.
But he insisted: โThatโs the Premier League, thatโs what it is. We managed to get a result (a 2-2 draw at home) against them last year.
โWe got heavily beaten at the Etihad. Weโre playing against one of the great teams. Letโs dust ourselves down after what happened the other night and get ready for a huge challenge.โ
REUTERS
