Steve Bruce has shared a fitness update and some early team news ahead of tomorrow’s FA Cup clash with West Brom in the last few moments.
This comes from his pre-match presser at the club’s training ground, where he’s confirmed that Allan Saint-Maximin is being assessed after ‘ongoing problems’ with his hamstring and back.
Elsewhere, Bruce confirms that everyone else who featured over the weekend is ‘fine’ – with Valentino Lazaro also back after completing his one-game suspension – but Andy Carroll will miss out again.
Bruce says he’s ‘doing better’, but has refused to put a timescale on his return once again – which is a concern.
Here’s what he’s had to say this lunchtime:
“Saint-Maximin is the big concern.
“He was a bit sore after the game after only doing 20 minutes on Saturday.
“We’ll see how he is with that ongoing problem, which is back and hamstring related.
“Everybody else is fine from the weekend.”
“Andy Carroll is doing better. How far away we are – I don’t think it’s right to put a timescale on it.
“We could do with Andy at this moment but, unfortunately, it’s not to be.”
It would be great if Saint-Maximin pulled through for such a big game, but reckless to risk him given how temperamental his hamstring has been this season.
After some torrid form in the league – seeing us win just one of our last 10 and fail to score in any of our last 4 – we could REALLY do with a win tomorrow night.
Not only would it see us progress to the quarter finals of the FA Cup and just one win away from a semi at Wembley (quite literally), it would give everyone in and around the club we desperately need right now ahead of the run in.
