Matthias Jaissle has revealed fresh injury concerns after Newcastle were hit by a difficult night in their 4-1 defeat to Leeds at St James’ Park.
The Newcastle boss was forced to deal with another problem before kick-off when Jacob Ramsey picked up a thigh issue during the warm-up.
Ramsey had been expected to provide an option from the bench, but his injury suddenly left Newcastle short of alternatives when Nico Gonzalez was forced off under concussion protocols.
The situation became even more difficult after Gonzalez had to leave the pitch.
With Ramsey unavailable, 18-year-old Sean Steur was introduced for Gonzalez and endured a tough evening as Newcastle struggled to find their rhythm.
Steur also gave the ball away in the build-up to Leeds’ second goal, adding to a frustrating night for the teenager.
Jaissle confirmed that Ramsey’s injury happened before the match had even started.
“He felt his thigh in the warm-up, so he was not able to play tonight,” Jaissle said. “That was the next challenge. Tonight, it was a little bit the story. Many things came together.”
The Newcastle manager was also asked about the decision to withdraw Gonzalez after the midfielder experienced a concussion-related incident.
Jaissle made it clear that Newcastle were not prepared to take any risks with the player’s health, regardless of the importance of the match.
“With Nico, as the manager, the gaffer and also we as a club, we have the responsibility. If he had that knockout feeling, as you all saw, then we have to be responsible enough to take him off the pitch.
“Even though he looked fine afterwards, there are also some rules, especially for that occasion.
“Independent of how important he is and how important it is to win a match, we are human beings as well and we take that seriously. Therefore, we took the decision to take him off the pitch.”
The bigger concern for Newcastle is that their injury problems could continue into the weekend.
Asked whether any of his injured players could return for the clash against Hull City, Jaissle offered little encouragement.
“It doesn’t look good at the moment.”
That concern includes Anthony Elanga, who was absent from the squad against Leeds after picking up an injury that could keep him sidelined for a significant period.
Elanga’s situation will now require further investigation before Newcastle know exactly how long they could be without the winger.
“Obviously, Elanga is struggling with an injury,” Jaissle said. “We now need to investigate further how serious it is, but at the moment it does not look that good.”
For Newcastle, the timing could hardly be worse.
The heavy defeat to Leeds has already raised questions about their performance, while the growing injury list could leave Jaissle with fewer options to turn things around.
Ramsey’s late setback was particularly frustrating because it removed a potential replacement option just when Newcastle needed one.
Gonzalez’s enforced departure then created another problem, forcing the manager to turn to Steur in difficult circumstances.
Now, Newcastle must regroup quickly.
The focus will shift to the fitness of Elanga, Ramsey and the other unavailable players, with Hull City next on the schedule.
After a night when almost everything appeared to go wrong, Jaissle will be hoping the injury news does not make Newcastle’s difficult situation even worse.
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