Steve Bruce believes Jetro Willems has a chance of returning at Man Utd on Boxing Day, but Paul Dummett looks set to miss out with a groin inury.
As expected, Allan Saint-Maxmin, Jamaal Lascelles and Matt Ritchie will miss out once again, with all expected to be missing until 2020.
Ciaran Clark and Ki Sung-yeung also seem likely to be missing. Bruce gave no indication they’d be back after the pair missed our last two, so it seems they’re still struggling.
Here’s what Bruce has had to say on the fitness front during his pre-Man Utd presser this morning:
“Paul Dummett is still a bit sore, so we’ll see how he is in the next 48 hours. For him to come off with a sore groin tells its own story.”
“Jetro may be OK. He got a whack on his knee at Burnley.
“Apart from that everybody else is – a few tired limbs, of course, but our job is to help them recover and repair and get them ready for Thursday.”
Sky Sports’ Keith Downie suggests Willems may also miss out, however you’d expect Bruce to give him every chance given we may well be without a left-back in Dummett and Ritchie’s absence.
As for Carroll, Bruce admits it may be ‘unrealistic’ for the striker to play two games in 48 hours ahead of meetings with Man Utd and Everton this week:
“I have got to box clever and we will see where he is this morning. It will be unrealistic to think Andy could play two games in 48 hours but he will want to. We will see how he is physically. Watch this space.”
