Newcastle United have released pictures from a snowy Benton base after the players trained ahead of Saturday night’s clash Aston Villa – and it appears to be good news on a few fronts.
First off, Allan Saint-Maximin is spotted taking part in a full session for the first time in almost two months after finally overcoming the long-term side-effects of COVID-19.
You’d think this weekend’s game will come too soon for the Frenchman, however it would not surprise me in the slightest if an under-fire Steve Bruce named him on the bench. Rushing him back would be asking for trouble, but he has a history of doing exactly that and is clearly getting desperate for results!
Elsewhere, there appears to be no sign of Federico Fernandez – suggesting he’ll miss out again after picking up a knock at Sheffield United – however Dwight Gayle and Fabian Schar seem to be fit again after both missed out entirely at Arsenal.
Ryan Fraser is another who could give us a boost this weekend. He let us down at Sheffield United, but he’s now back from a one-game suspension so could feature at Villa Park – and will be looking to right the wrongs of last week’s horror show at Bramall Lane if he’s selected!
It’s also worth noting that Emil Krafth is pictured taking part – a player who has been heavily linked with a £2.7m move to Turkey this week.
So, Gayle back in contention, ASM back involved in full training sessions and Schar back to potentially help make up for Fernandez’s absence.
You can see the training photos in full here.
Follow us on Twitter (@NUFCBlogcouk) and on Facebook HERE
What’s up with Manquillo ? He turned into one of best options at RB in the spring. In a back 4, he may be the most reliable of a pretty sorry trio.
dgb(Quote)