SM
Newcastle vs. West Ham: 22 hrs 57 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

Newcastle boss Steve Bruce excited for Allan Saint-Maximin return

:Headline: Newcastle boss Steve Bruce excited for Allan Saint-Maximin return: ID:431688: from db_amp
The Frenchman last played for Newcastle on November 21.

Steve Bruce is pinning his hopes of sparking a Newcastle revival on the impending return of Allan Saint-Maximin following his lengthy coronavirus lay-off.

The 23-year-old Frenchman has been out of action for more than two months following the outbreak of Covid-19 which prompted the closure of the club's training headquarters in November, and his absence has robbed head coach Bruce of one of his brightest sparks during a nine-game winless run.

However, Saint-Maximin has trained this week and has been included in the squad for Saturday evening's Premier League trip to Aston Villa, and that can only be good news for a club which has seen its season unravel alarmingly since the middle of December.

Bruce said: "Arguably our most creative player, the one who's your player of the year, then of course you're going to miss him and we have missed him for the best part of a couple of months.

"When he was in and around the team, we looked a threat, we could play that little bit deeper and play teams on the counter-attack.

"If you are a mainly counter-attacking team, then you have to have pace on the turnover and without Allan, then we haven't got that blistering pace that he possesses, so we're delighted to see him back.

"He will certainly make us a little bit more entertaining, he will certainly help us win a few games, so it is good to see him in and around it again."

With the likes of defenders Federico Fernandez and Fabian Schar, who have been playing in recent weeks, still coping with the after-effects of the virus, Saint-Maximin's condition has been closely monitored.

Bruce said: "It's fair to say his fitness levels are very, very good, which is good news. Of course we've got to get the balance right and I wouldn't expect him to be starting on Saturday. But he'll be in and among the squad and there if he's needed."

Saint-Maximin last played in a 2-0 home defeat by Chelsea on November 21 and although the Magpies won the two games immediately after, they have not tasted victory since.

Bruce said: "It's been difficult – let's not beat about the bush – but then again, we're not alone.

"If Liverpool, who are the champions of the country, can't score for six hours, then it shows you how hard this league is and what league we're playing in, so we're not alone."

amp_article__431688 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2021-01-22 14:30:36:
html db last update - 2021-01-22 14:30:36 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Steve Bruce

Click here for more stories about Aston Villa

Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool1210112481631
2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
10Fulham125341717018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd124441313016
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Ipswich TownIpswich121651323-109
19Crystal Palace121561017-78
20Southampton121110924-154
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .