Steve Bruce believes Ryan Fraser will be “like a new signing” for Newcastle United after passing him fit to return at Leeds tonight.
In the context of transfer windows, Fraser is a new signing – although I guess with the amount of game-time he’s managed since arriving into Toon, our manager may have a point!
After starting just once all season – and that was in the middle of the park at Wolves – he could finally be unleashed at Elland Road this evening, with Bruce stating yesterday that he’s “fully fit” and raring to go:
“Ryan Fraser is fully fit now and ready to go.
“He’s like a new signing for us because we’d had to wait patiently with him.
“He has trained now for the last week and a bit.
“He will be involved.
“His recovery was disrupted with the training ground closing down but he’s available.”
I guess some NUFC fans may pick-up on the “like a new signing” line and maybe think “here we go, we won’t be signing next month.” But for once I think Bruce is right here.
Fraser took more time to get up to speed earlier in the season as he’d no played competitively for months after becoming a free agent.
He then got a hamstring injury soon after his lively cameo vs Everton that saw him set up Wilson’s second. Since then, he’s missed our last four with a hamstring injury so it’ll be great to have him back, especially now we’re setting up with a more attacking formation.
I’m not sure who makes way for him but, with Saint-Maximin appearing to be out for longer than we initially thought, it’s great to have him available at last and it will be good to see how he can link up with Wilson.
He knows he might even start if he’s been back training for almost 2 weeks and is “fully fit” as Bruce claims. There’s no doubting that playing a Leeds side that always plays with high energy, followed by the vital clash with Fulham on Saturday and then Brentford next week we need to rotate and keep players as fresh as we can.
A fully fit and in-form Ryan Fraser is the type of player that can improve any side. When you consider how much some Clubs tried to pay to prise him away from Bournemouth before his injuries, getting him as a free agent still looks like one of the best bits of business we’ve done for some time.
Now is his time to prove that worth and enhance and complement our squad further.
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