Injury expert Ben Dinnery has claimed that the fitness of Allan Saint-Maximin ‘hangs in the balance’ for Newcastle United ahead of his possible return.
The 25-year-old winger has missed the Magpies’ last three Premier League matches due to a hamstring injury and it remains to be seen as to whether or not he will be back straight after the international break.
Head coach Eddie Howe did recently claim that he expects Saint-Maximin to available for selection soon, but admitted that the player suffered a slight setback last week, saying (via Shields Gazette): “He’s had a very minor setback with the physios. So, whether or not after the international break, he’ll be fit, is slightly unclear, but it’s certainly not long-term.”
Following on from this information, it seems as though little has changed, and it all very much depends on whether or not the Frenchman will be back in full training soon.
Indeed, while speaking on Premier FPL Injuries, Dinnery said: “Now, Eddie Howe ahead of Gameweek 8 [last weekend] confirmed that the French winger had suffered a minor setback and that could potentially keep him out of the game in Gameweek 9 against Fulham. That remains to be seen.
“As it currently stands, it hangs in the balance. It may be the fact that it is a hamstring injury, high re-injury, high recurrence rates and the additional issues around that mini setback means that we may be held back.
“We need to see Allan Saint-Maximin back with the group on Tyneside from next week to give him any chance of being involved.”
Is Allan Saint-Maximin Newcastle's best player?
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TIF Thoughts on Allan Saint-Maximin and Newcastle…
With three direct goal contributions (one goal and two assists) in four Premier League matches this term, it’s easy to see why Saint-Maximin is a key player for Newcastle.
On top of that, his wonder strike against Wolves won the Premier League’s Goal of the Month award for August, but he has not been able to play since.
In better news, he has at least been able to show himself doing some work to get back to full fitness in a recent Instagram video. But this wasn’t as part of a full team training session, and so, as Dinnery points out, it really does remain in the balance and may hinge upon what he can do when he returns to the squad.