Newcastle United fans have flocked to the club’s official Twitter page after a post revealed Florian Lejeune is continuing to impress while on loan at Alaves.
The 29-year-old joined the La Liga outfit last summer on a short-term deal and has enjoyed a successful campaign with Javier Calleja’s side, as his respectable 6.78/10 WhoScored rating shows.
Meanwhile, his parent club were forced to play right-back Emil Krafth as part of a back three over the weekend due to Fabian Schar’s injury leading to questions over how the Spaniard was allowed to depart St. James’ Park.
The Magpies are entrenched in a battle to beat to avoid relegation from the Premier League this season, and the supporters clearly feel Lejeune could have helped the club maintain their top-flight status.
“Classic Bruce, sending our most talented CB out on loan, after crippling the lad last season playing him 5/6 times in 2 weeks after his long injury lay off!!!!!!”
“Well done Newcastle. Sent one of our best players out on loan, suffer a defensive crisis and plays Dummett and Krafth in a back 3. Smart.”
“Amazed that you tweet this when we are having to watch Krafth play CB. Another spectacularly bad decision to let him go out on loan.”
“He’s been one of there best players and would probably be one of out best players if we didn’t loan him out”
“Still baffles me how he was sent on loan”
“Meanwhile we’re playing Emil Krafth and Jonjo Shelvey at centre back”
Newcastle have the fourth-worst defensive record in the Premier League this season, and although it’s impossible to say for sure whether Lejeune’s absence has had a negative effect upon the north-east outfit, an extra experienced body at the back would perhaps have been useful at certain times.
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