Without reinforcements, Newcastle’s depth will be tested

Newcastle United elected to stand pat on Deadline Day and that may leave them exposed in the coming months.

As Deadline Day came and went on Monday, Newcastle United made no moves to bolster the squad. With some big injuries and a potential loan exit for Christian Atsu, the Magpies may have left themselves too thin for the next few months.

At striker, Dwight Gayle is still expected to be out for the foreseeable future. That leaves Callum Wilson, the injury-prone and aging Andy Carroll, and the ineffective Joelinton.

Left-back is the thinnest position with Matt Ritchie’s shoulder surgery keeping him out for months. Jamal Lewis is the only true left-back on the roster with Paul Dummett, working his way back from injury himself, and one of the right-backs to back him up.

Fabian Schar was given a clean bill of health after an injury ended his day vs. Burnley. But, he’s proven to be injury-prone, not unlike Jamaal Lascelles and Ciaran Clark. The club didn’t end up adding a center-back, on loan or by transfer, and loaned out Florian Lejeune.

Obviously, Martin Dubravka is still out, but there wasn’t a dire need to add another goalkeeper to the mix.

If Atsu leaves on loan, the only true wingers left will be Allan Saint-Maximin, Miguel Almiron, and Jacob Murphy, who has never proven himself in the Premier League. Obviously, Steve Bruce likes to play Jeff Hendrick out wide, but that poor decision isn’t what this article is about.

Injuries are a part of the game and Newcastle has been bit hard by the injury bug in the past. If they suffer any key injuries at thin positions, it could prove to be a major hindrance to the NUFC season.