Newcastle winger Harvey Barnes will miss the next 3 months due to a toe injury, the club have confirmed.
The 25-year-old has only made six appearances for the Magpies since making the £38m switch from Leicester in the summer but he is now set for a lengthy period on the sidelines.
Fans on X were wishing Barnes well, although some have been discussing how such an injury can keep the player out of contention for so long:
What a weird & bizarre Injury
Isak in the League is a viable option there if Howe want to rest Gordon— nEwCaStLe fOr LiFe (@77_SH_ER) September 29, 2023
He will come back stronger
— Newcastle United Fan From Ethiopia (@GebruLoga) September 29, 2023
Possible turf toe?
— Kevin Tucker Jr. (@ToonCommander82) September 29, 2023
Wish him speedy recovery
— Larry (@Abdool111) September 29, 2023
I can't believe he's out for 3 months man, it's like nothing even happened.
We are just lucky we have Gordon and Isak occasionally to play there.
— Dell 🇮🇹 (@agbnufc_) September 29, 2023
I wish him speedy recovery 🤍🖤
— P E N D E R E S 👑🔴 (@MrPenderes) September 29, 2023
Barnes will miss some big games between now and the New Year
Newcastle have five Champions League group games before Christmas that the Englishman won’t be involved in, with matches versus Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan all to come.
There is also the small matter of a Carabao Cup fourth-round tie versus Manchester United at the end of October that Barnes will miss.
However, most significantly, the winger could be sidelined for as many as 13 league fixtures between now and the end of December. The Magpies will play the likes of West Ham, Chelsea, Arsenal, United, Tottenham and Liverpool during the intervening period.
Who could replace Barnes in Newcastle’s starting lineup?
The most obvious replacement would be Anthony Gordon, who has been in great form at the start of this season but, due to the number of games, he will need to be rested at times.
One solution could be to select striker Alexander Isak on the left flank, with Callum Wilson leading the line instead.
You can watch the documentary – Newcastle United: The Road Back To Europe on Shots! TV here
