Ahead of the trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday, Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe did his weekly news conference today. During the session, he provided updates on four injured players: Dan Burn, Fabian Schar, William Osula and Jacob Murphy. Schar is obviously the headliner here, as he just suffered a substantial ankle injury in the 4-3 win over Leeds United. The defensive stalwart had to be stretchered out of the game, and after successfully undergoing surgery, he’s now set for three months on the sidelines.
There is good news though- the Swiss central defender’s ankle isn’t broken; it’s only ligament damage.
So with that mind, let’s run through the four updates that Howe gave today.
Fabian Schar (ankle)
“He had a successful surgery yesterday, which is great news,” Howe said of Schar. “Everything went according to plan. I think it’s difficult to give a definitive [timeline], but around three months out will be the diagnosis we’ll work towards.
“If it’s any quicker, then great, but we need to give Fabian time to recover.”
Potential Return: after the March international break
Dan Burn (ribs)
Burn is nearing a return from a ribs injury that truly could have had the potential to be quite scary. His comeback will certainly be a feel good story.
“Dan is improving, he’s running, which is a really good thing,” said Howe. “His fitness will be OK, it will just be managing the pain of his injury.”
Potential Return: a couple weeks or so
William Osula (ankle)
Osula will be back quite soon actually.
“Will, hopefully, will be training imminently,” said Howe on Friday. “We’ll then have to make a decision on when we can involve him in a matchday squad.”
Potential Return: the next game after this one.
Jacob Murphy (hamstring)
Murphy has a hamstring problem, but it is not a serious one.
‘Jacob has had another [hamstring] scan, and again, nothing is showing, which is a strange one. You have to go on the symptoms and how the player feels. That’ll probably mean a period that Jacob has to come out. How long, I don’t know, but we’re thankful it’s not a serious problem and hopefully one we can overcome quickly.
Potential Return: probably within a couple weeks.
And then also Emil Krafth (knee), Tino Livramento (hamstring) Jamaal Lascelles (unspecified) all remain sidelined as well.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.