Danny Murphy fears Kieran Trippier will be out for six weeks ‘minimum’ after the Newcastle United defender suffered an injury in the 1-0 Premier League victory over Aston Villa, speaking to talkSPORT (14 February, 11am).
Easy come, easy go.
Just as the Newcastle fans thought they’d found the man to drag them away from relegation danger, he fell to the floor on Sunday afternoon, a grimace etched across his face as a ripple of concern spread across all corners of St James’ Park.
And, on Monday morning, Eddie Howe got the news he’d have been dreading.
Trippier, the matchwinner in each of Newcastle’s last two games, has fractured his metatarsal.
An injury former Liverpool and England midfielder Murphy knows all too much about.
“I’ve had that,” Murphy groans. “If there’s no surgery needed, it’ll be six weeks. Minimum. Five to six weeks.
“When you break (your metatarsal), or snap it, they fix it and you have to have surgery. If it’s cracked, you can let it heal naturally. That’s what I did. I was out six weeks when I did mine.
“(Trippier’s absence is) a shame.”
When will Kieran Trippier return for Newcastle?
According to The Athletic, Trippier will to undergo surgery. It remains to be seen when he will feature again in black and white.
Though if Murphy’s prognosis is correct, the £12 million January signing could be missing until the end of March. That means he stands to miss five Premier League fixtures, including a crunch clash against potential relegation rivals Brentford.
Newcastle also lost Javier Manquillo against Aston Villa, the Spaniard limping off in the first-half. What’s more, Manquillo may have been Howe’s preferred option to take Trippier’s place on the right-hand side.
Emil Krafth, a player who, in the eyes of some, has come to epitomise the mediocrity of the Mike Ashley era, will now be under serious pressure to step up to the plate in Trippier’s absence.
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