Newcastle United should axe injury prone players

Newcastle United must address the injury problems that have plagued the club for years.

A serious problem that Newcastle United has had in recent history is injury problems. Since the start of this season, Newcastle United suffered 61 injuries to their squad. Yes. Sixty-one. Soixante et un. Sesenta y uno. Anyway you want to say it. That’s a lot.

Some players get injured more than others. And a lot of times it can come down to their work ethic. If not their work ethic, their nutrition and lifestyle are oftentimes major factors. And when a player gets injured, it comes to the detriment of the whole team.

I took to breaking down the players who got injured the most out of that list of 61 injuries. And if I had more time I would personally break down each injury that the players got.

Jack Colback

5

Vernon Anita

4

Rob Elliot

4

Papiss Cisse

4

Siem de Jong

3

Steven Taylor

3

Paul Dummett

3

Cheick Tiote

3

Kevin Mbabu

3

Jamaal Lascelles

2

Aleksandar Mitrovic

2

Fabricio Coloccini

2

Rolando Aarons

2

Mike Williamson

2

Massadio Haidara

2

Yoan Gouffran

1

Andros Townsend

1

Sylvain Marveaux

1

Ivan Toney

1

Chancel Mbemba

1

Florian Thauvin

1

Tim Krul

1

Karl Darlow

1

Moussa Sissoko

1

Gabriel Obertan

1

More from Newcastle Toons

• AC Milan predicted lineup vs Newcastle United – UEFA Champion League 2023/24
• “What a player” Arsenal and Real Madrid stars hype up this Newcastle ace
• Newcastle United 1-0 Brentford: 3 Catalyst Players Who Were Key To The Result
• Newcastle United 1-0 Brentford: 3 things Eddie Howe learned from the match
• Newcastle player ratings vs Brentford: Harvey Barnes impresses

Long chart? That’s because so many players have been getting injured. It’s been a problem for years, and it likely has a lot to do with fitness training with the managers. Daryl Janmaat has led the club in injuries this season with a total of seven. He’s also been criticized this season for making numerous mistakes at right-back. This season he suffered three knee injuries.

What’s even more striking is that the majority of injured players have been midfield. A position that Newcastle United has struggled to fill in recent years with quality talent. And when the top midfielder gets injured, there’s little depth to replace them.

This is another reason why Rafa Benitez wanted control over the squad. To ensure that players who haven’t been pulling their weight or are a liability to the club in terms of fitness are offloaded and moved before they get stuck with high paying contracts.

More from Editorials

• Can Newcastle United repeat the success of the 2022-23 season?
• NUFC midfielder called up to the Brazil National Team
• Newcastle vs. Manchester United: what should you expect?
• Allan Saint-Maximin: A struggle for consistent play
• Newcastle United’s starting lineup for the rest of the season

Papiss Cisse was hardly a factor this season, and yet managed to get injured four times. He injured his back and pulled his groin twice. There’s something to look for when watching him in training.

Players don’t get injured or can bounce back quickly if they have a strict work ethic, and maintain a steady healthy lifestyle. Ayoze Perez wasn’t out once this season due to injury or illness. Neither was Georginio Wijnaldum. In fact, since joining United, I’ve not found one record of a Perez injury.

So among the many tasks that Rafa Benitez has been put to, add this to the list. Making sure that players who prove to be a fitness liability are offloaded, or seriously put to work on improving their ethic.

Let’s compare Newcastle United’s numbers to Premier League champs, Leicester City. Leicester only dealt with 19 injuries this season. Tottenham dealt with 46 injuries, but at least they had the depth to fill empty positions.

The only clubs on par with Newcastle United’s injury woes? Fellow relegated pals Aston Villa, and rivals Sunderland. And I think that says a lot about what Newcastle United need to look into. Not just the players who are getting injured, but the ability to replace anyone who gets injured.

Next: Steven Taylor is leaving Newcastle United

I do believe it is safe to say that if Newcastle United had not suffered the amount of injuries they did, then perhaps relegation would not have happened. More importantly, if Newcastle United had built up depth over the years, relegation certainly would not have happened.

This chart stands as one of Newcastle United’s biggest problems. And it should be something addressed immediately.