Newcastle winger Harvey Barnes went off injured early on in Newcastle’s thumping 8-0 win over Sheffield United in the Premier League on Sunday.
Barnes went to the ground holding his leg in the 11th minute of the game when the score was still 0-0. He was then replaced by Anthony Gordon, who went on to score one of the eight Newcastle goals.
There were worries around the club that Barnes could be sidelined for a long period of time and then manager Eddie Howe suggested that the player could be out for months rather than just weeks.
Howe said in an interview after the game: “I think it is an injury to the lower part of his foot just below the toe. I think it is quite a substantial injury. We’ve had it scanned and we are waiting on what’s next, whether there’s [need for] surgery or not.”
When asked about Barnes’ potential return, the coach said: “It’s difficult, I don’t want to put a time on it until we get confirmation from the specialist, but I think it will be months rather than weeks.”
The manager also mentioned that early signs “do not look good” with regard to the injury. Barnes was also seen wearing a protective boot while leaving Bramall Lane after the game.
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Finally, the manager also added a few words of support for his player at a press conference as he said: “There’s no doubt he’ll be disappointed because he was very keen to show his value and worth, and Sunday was an opportunity to do that. But whatever the injury is, we’ll support him and we know he’s a top-quality player and he still has a massive part to play.”
Sunday was only Barnes’ second start for the Magpies ever since signing from Leicester City for £38 million in the summer transfer window.
He had already experienced a solid start to life at St. James’ Park after he scored a goal and provided an assist on his club debut against Aston Villa on the opening weekend.
The 25-year-old could have featured in the first-team to face Manchester City in the club’s upcoming game in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday but is now unavailable.
The Englishman could also miss some important fixtures over the next few months as the Magpies are set to face off against Paris St. Germain in the Champions League before a double-header with Borussia Dortmund.
They also have key fixtures in the league against West Ham United and Arsenal in the months of October and November.
Newcastle are also without midfielders Joelinton and Joe Willock. Joelinton is scheduled to return back from injury before the next international break in October but Willock is likely to be out for longer.
