Newcastle United is facing an injury crisis among its attacking players, and they are hopeful that Harvey Barnes will be back in action before the end of the year.
Barnes, who had recently made his second start for the club following his £38 million summer transfer from Leicester City, suffered a toe injury early in the Magpies’ 8-0 victory over Sheffield United last month. Fortunately, surgery was not required, but Newcastle manager Eddie Howe initially stated that Barnes would need three months to recover before returning to training, effectively ruling him out until early 2024. However, in a recent update, Howe expressed optimism about having the 25-year-old winger back a bit earlier.
Howe stated, “Hopefully we can get him back a little earlier than that, but we’re looking towards the end of December.” He noted that Barnes’ injury was frustrating because it occurred in a seemingly innocuous manner, with pain in his toe during a routine movement. The recovery process primarily involved rest to allow the bone to heal, and once that was accomplished, Barnes could start moving and, hopefully, feel much better.
Barnes is just one of several Newcastle attackers dealing with injuries. Alexander Isak experienced a recurrence of his thigh problem during a recent defeat to Borussia Dortmund, while Jacob Murphy suffered a dislocated shoulder. Additionally, Elliot Anderson, who can play in midfield or on the left side, is expected to be out for eight weeks due to a back injury.
Howe acknowledged the challenging situation, stating, “We’re a bit light in the attacking areas. I thought we had a deeper squad this season, but when injuries occur in certain positions, the situation can change rapidly. Unfortunately, we’re missing Harvey, Elliot, and now Alexander and Jacob, making our attacking options quite stretched.”