Speaking to the press this morning, Steve Bruce has offered a fitness update ahead of our final two games of the season – also revealing why Ryan Fraser is facing a race against time to be fit for Euro 2020.
As we know, Callum Wilson (hamstring) and Jamaal Lascelles (stress fracture) have been ruled out for the season, however it seems Isaac Hayden (knee) and Ryan Fraser (groin) also won’t play again, with Bruce refusing to risk either after the pair have only taken part in light training over the past week.
Bruce has also discussed a potential debut for local lad Elliot Anderson, insisting he is ‘desperate’ to be involved but will face a late fitness test after only just returning to training yesterday following a hip injury.
Elsewhere, Fabian Schar won’t be back until our final day trip to Fulham, with him still banned after his red card in the 2-0 defeat to Arsenal landed him a three-match ban.
Karl Darlow also remains absent and looks set to sit out our last two games. He had surgery on his knee last month and hasn’t trained since.
Here’s what Bruce has had to say on the injury front in his latest press conference…
Bruce on Anderson:
“He’s had a bit of a bad hip. He trained yesterday for the first time in eight days.
“He’s desperate to be involved, of course, but we’ll see how he is.
“I’m not going to risk him for the sake of it, if he’s sore.”
Bruce on Hayden and Fraser:
“They haven’t joined in (with full training).
“They’re both probably raring to go but with five days to go… why risk them?
“I would be risking it with the two of them.”
Bruce on Fraser’s EURO 2020 hopes:
“I think that would be a gamble, seeing as he’s missed the last six or seven weeks.
“He has played no real football or trained.”
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