NEWCASTLE UNITED’S attacking injury problems continue to mount, with Chris Wood having become the latest player to suffer an issue while on international duty.
Wood was forced off during the first half of New Zealand’s friendly defeat to Australia this morning after a collision resulted in what appeared to be a rib injury.
The Newcastle striker received on-field treatment to his chest, with members of New Zealand’s medical staff initially adding strapping to the affected area, but Wood was unable to continue and left the field looking visibly dejected.
33′ ? Substitution
Gutting one for Chris Wood. He has had to come off after getting injured in an earlier tackle.
Ben Waine is on to replace him.
?? 0 – 0 ?? #NZLvAUS pic.twitter.com/tx5QEvFtQh
Speaking to the Antipodean press after the game, Wood said: “I went in for a challenge and something popped in my rib. It hurt to run and breathe, so I had to come off.”
The injury will be assessed in the next few days, but Wood’s participation in Saturday’s Premier League game at Fulham is potentially in doubt, which could prove a major headache to Magpies boss Eddie Howe.
Howe is already fretting over the availability of Alexander Isak, with Newcastle’s club-record signing having been forced to withdraw from international duty with Sweden last week because of an unspecified injury issue.
Newcastle’s medical staff examined Isak along with members of Sweden’s backroom team, and the striker was withdrawn from the Nations League games against Serbia and Slovenia.
Sweden coach Janne Anderson said: “It is of course sad, mainly for Alex, but also for us as a team. But, after speaking with both our medical team and Alex, it is the right decision for him to leave.”
In addition to assessing Wood and Isak’s complaints, Newcastle’s medics will also be keen to run the rule over Bruno Guimaraes and Elliot Anderson ahead of the weekend trip to Craven Cottage.
Guimaraes was not involved in Brazil’s friendly win over Ghana on Friday, with the Brazilian management team concerned over the state of the thigh injury that sidelined him for the best part of a month prior to his comeback in last weekend’s draw with Bournemouth, while Anderson was withdrawn from the Scotland Under-21 squad last week because of an injury issue of his own.
The mounting injury list will further intensify the focus on Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin, with the pair both hoping to be available to return in the Fulham game. However, given that neither has played since the end of August, Howe will be understandably reluctant to rush them back too quickly.
Speaking in the wake of the Bournemouth game, the Newcastle boss expressed a hope that Wilson would be available to play some part at Craven Cottage, and the England international is understood to have trained without any issues last week.
Saint-Maximin’s comeback is at a less advanced stage, and Howe conceded last weekend that the Frenchman might not be ready for the first game back after the international break.
Saint-Maximin posted a picture of himself doing some running work on social media last week, but at this stage, he is not understood to have stepped up his training to the point of doing any contact work.
While Wood suffered a disappointing day as Australia claimed a 2-0 win over New Zealand in Auckland, the game marked a landmark moment for Garang Kuol, who Newcastle are set to sign in January.
Kuol, who only celebrated his 18th birthday earlier this month, made his senior Socceroos debut as a second-half substitute and looks set to be part of the Australia squad that is selected for the World Cup finals in Qatar.
The teenager forward is set to join Newcastle from Australian A-League side Central Coast Mariners when the transfer window reopens in January, with the Magpies already having agreed the financial framework of a deal with his current employers. It is anticipated that Kuol will then be loaned out to gain first-team experience in Europe in the second half of this season.
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