Newcastle manager Steve Bruce says that Matt Ritchie is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines and will undergo surgery on an injury suffered in last weekend’s clash with Tottenham.
The midfielder was forced off midway through the second half of the 1-1 draw with Tottenham, and now looks set to be out of action for some time, with a similar injury to the one that has kept Fabian Schar out of the side since July.
Providing an update on that injury suffered by Ritchie, Bruce told The Chronicle: “He will probably have an operation today. It’s a similar operation to Fab Schar.
“How unfortunate are we to have two?”
That draw with Tottenham was Ritchie’s first Premier League appearance of the season, although the 31-year-old has also featured in Carabao Cup wins over Blackburn and Morecambe, helping them secure a trip to Newport in the fourth round of the competition which takes place on Wednesday night.
Discussing the loss that Ritchie’s will leave his side facing, Bruce went on to add: “We know how valuable he is around the training ground.
“He has that leadership about him. With any good player he’ll be a miss.”
This is obviously a blow for Newcastle, and it has not exactly come at a good time for them.
Ritchie’s upcoming absence for much of the first half of the season is going to make it harder for Bruce to rotate his side throughout what will be a heavy schedule, with one less reliable option to call upon.
You also have to wonder whether there would be the scope for Newcastle to get a replacement for him in the transfer market, given they have other priorities at the minute, and a limited budget to work with.
There also has to be a deal of sympathy for Ritchie here, given he just looked as though he was staking a fresh claim for himself in the side, and you wonder if he will be able to do that again when he eventually recovers from this setback.