Newcastle United received an injury boost this week as Callum Wilson will be available vs. Burnley on Sunday. But, at the other end of the pitch, they may have lost their leader when they need him the most.
Steve Bruce announced that the club will be without captain Jamaal Lascelles due to a foot injury he suffered in the draw vs. Spurs. He added that he will undergo further scans, but that it could be a stress fracture.
With just eight matches remaining on the Premier League schedule, it’s fair to say that a stress fracture could sideline Lascelles for the rest of the season. That would be a massive blow to the Magpies as they try to avoid relegation.
Lascelles isn’t the most talented player on the Newcastle United roster, but he’s one of the most important. Wearing the captain’s armband, he is the vocal leader on the pitch and helps hold his teammates accountable.
Newcastle United will face an uphill battle to survive this season without their captain.
He’s also shown the ability to score a crucial goal for the club, just like he did vs. Aston Villa, and they will be missing him as a threat offensively on set pieces.
The captaincy has typically gone to Jonjo Shelvey when Lascelles is out and that’s likely to happen again. But, without Lascelles, there will be an obvious void in leadership at the worst time for the club. It was actually during the relegation fight in 2015/16 that Lascelles’ leadership impressed Rafa Benitez enough to give him the captain’s responsibility.
Already without Fabian Schar, Federico Fernandez or Ciaran Clark will need to step into his position on the pitch and NUFC will need to have a leadership by committee approach as they look to survive this season.