Going into the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, Newcastle United fans were quite optimistic about how their season might play out, but sadly for manager Eddie Howe it has not quite gone to plan for them in the way that they would have hoped.
It could still be a decent season for the side, with 29 games played, they have 13 wins and four draws and are sat in eighth place in the table on 43 points, and like many sides who had aspirations on having a good year, they have been heavily hit by injuries to very key players, and the latest to fall foul is influential skipper Jamaal Lascelles.
The 30 year old centre half has featured in 26 games across all competitions this year, included their unsuccessful return to to the Champions League’s Group F battles, but his campaign has now come to and end following the injury he sustained to his right knee in their 4-3 victory over West Ham United this weekend.
Lascelles only lasted 17 minutes into the clash before he needed substituting, and following additional tests following the game, it has now been confirmed that he has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament, and that he will now undergo surgery at some point next week. The expectation is that he will then be out of action for between ‘six to nine months’ if his rehabilitation and recovery goes to plan.
The lay off could have been worse for Lascelles in terms of the timescale, but it follows on from a similar injury sustained by Sven Botman earlier this month in the game against Manchester City.
The West Ham clash also saw Tino Livramento, Emil Krafth and Miguel Almiron limp off, and fans will be hoping they are just knocks, as England goalkeeper Nick Pope has been out since December with a shoulder injury, and both Brazil midfielder Joelinton, and striker Callum Wilson have also been missing for extended periods of the season.
Lewis Miley and Kieran Trippier also remain sidelined, and they have now also lost Anthony Gordon for a single game as he serves a ban following the late red card he picked up in their last match.
It is not how their gaffer would have wanted to end the season, as they are undoubtedly looking to stage a final push in the hopes of entering the European spots once again, as after the periods of struggles this year, their fans will continue hoping for better improvement in 2024/25.
We will have to see what the final games of the year bring, but additional injuries could now really hamper their chances.