- Barnes injured against Sheffield United
- Injury described as “unusual” and “substantial”
- Forward’s absence reduces Newcastle’s attacking options
Newcastle United forward Harvey Barnes is set to be out of action for an extended period after sustaining a highly unusual injury during their dominant 8-0 Premier League victory against Sheffield United.
Barnes set to be out for months rather than weeks
Barnes, who recently made a high-profile move from Leicester City to Newcastle in a £38 million deal this summer, was forced to leave the pitch after just 12 minutes at Bramall Lane. Manager Eddie Howe expressed concerns that the 25-year-old may be facing months of recovery.
Following the incident, Barnes underwent a thorough scan to assess the extent of his injury. Newcastle is now anxiously awaiting the expert opinion of a specialist to determine if surgical intervention will be necessary for the foot injury described by Howe. The United boss said:
“It’s difficult, I don’t want to put a time on it until we get confirmation from the specialist, but I think it will be months rather than weeks.
“It’s an injury to a part of the foot just below the toe. I think it’s quite a substantial injury.
“I don’t think it was a tackle, I think it was just pushing off to run, a very unusual injury.
“I won’t go too technical because I’m not medically qualified to do so, but yes, very unusual.”
Betting Implications
With the matches coming thick and fast, in the Premier League and the Champions League, plus the little matter of Wednesday’s EFL Cup tie against Manchester City, Howe will need to rotate his squad. Barnes offers an alternative to Anthony Gordon on the left side and is also seen as a potential game-changer from the bench. His absence will be felt, however, the Magpies have other options on the left of their attacking three with Gordon, Elliot Anderson, Alexander Isak, Jacob Murphy, Matt Ritchie and Joelinton, who is also currently on the sidelines, all able to operate there. However, Howe would possibly prefer to use all except Gordon in other roles. Bettors need to assess how Newcastle’s squad cope without Barnes over the coming weeks and possibly months.
