Newcastle United have injury worries for the game with Hull City
Nico Gonzalez of Newcastle United speaks to the medical staff as he leaves the pitch as a concession substitution
Newcastle United manager Matthias Jaissle has dismissed reports suggesting Anthony Elanga faces a two-month absence, but has admitted his side face injury problems for the visit of Hull City.
Swedish international Elanga is certain to sit out the upcoming fixture against City and has also been ruled out of Sweden’s UEFA Nations League matches against Romania, Sweden and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The £55million signing, who found the net twice in his opening appearances, will be a big miss but Jaissle is hopeful the remainder of the squad will seize the opportunity his absence presents. Bazoumana Toure could be among those to benefit, though that may result in Harvey Barnes shifting out to the right flank.
Jaissle said: “It is sad, really sad. After a great start. We want to stay positive, if he is out we want to solve it differently. We have the ability to adjust things, and it is a chance for the others.”
Jaissle confirmed the absences of Nico Gonzalez and Jacob Ramsey, sidelined with a concussion and a thigh injury respectively, while Amar Dedic has also joined the injury list following hamstring trouble in recent matches. Jaissle may look to Sean Steur and Aladji Bamba as alternatives, stating: “It will be a young midfield (against City). JJ is injured as well, but we trust them.
“It was just unlucky (for Gonzalez), it was not a big hit but the hit was strong enough and precise enough to knock him out.
“Like I said also in the post-match press conference we need to be smart, we have the responsibility then to follow the protocol from the league, which I really think it’s so good that we are so advanced in that approach.
“He’s missing Saturday’s match, but he’s feeling much better. He’s fine, usually he could train, he can progress, but again, we take that seriously that protocol. Therefore he will be out.”
Newcastle face City just five days after suffering a 4-1 defeat to Leeds, with the match against the Tigers presenting an opportunity to respond, adding: “We are fully aligned and fully committed to show a reaction.
“It is always nice to finish a block before an international break with a good result. We are optimistic. Even if there are a couple of injuries.”
When quizzed about the potential return of Joelinton and Dan Burn, Jaissle said: “Unfortunately not. It does not look that good for the home match.
“We are still looking at it, maybe a miracle will happen but it will be an opportunity for others.”
Here at Hull Live, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Hull City coverage and analysis. Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group.
You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.