There has been a lot of speculation about Allan Saint-Maximin recently after he was named on the bench against Burnley, leading Steve Bruce to discuss the issue ahead of Newcastle’s win against West Brom.
What did he say?
The Daily Mail reported that the winger’s future “is in doubt” after he was “dropped” against the Clarets on Saturday, while also adding that the Frenchman’s performances in training had discouraged his manager from picking him.
That is apparently why he missed out on starting, and instead played just 12 minutes after being substituted on late.
However, the fact he started against West Brom seems to contradict that assessment, and Bruce also took it upon himself to clarify the situation, addressing the rumours in a bid to put an end to the speculation.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, as reported by The Chronicle, he said:
“The facts are Allan has twice done his hamstring since he’s been at the club. He wasn’t great with it, didn’t train on Sunday. He trained on Monday.
“All of the nonsense we have to read about is total nonsense.”
It is clear that the Magpies boss is unhappy at the fact he has had to dismiss accusations which hinted at some kind of fallout, but his comments will likely come as a relief to most fans, as the winger is a popular figure in the north-east who they will likely want to stay for the long-term.
Key asset
It was little surprise that Newcastle struggled without Saint-Maximin at the weekend, playing out a 0-0 draw against Burnley without really testing Nick Pope between the sticks, as four shots on target would suggest.
He made a big impact on his return to the starting line-up against the Baggies, however, making an assist as well as three dribbles, earning a WhoScored rating of 7.8 in the process.
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The 22-year-old’s dribbling has been a key aspect of his success at St James’ Park since joining, averaging 4.3 per league game, but the fact that he is contributing more in the final third in terms of goals and assists, shows that his important to Bruce is growing.
If the Newcastle manager was in fact taking precaution due to fears over the winger’s injury issues, then he should be commended, as maintaining his fitness for the long-term is the most pressing concern.
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The north-east outfit are not yet safe and could potentially continue their run in the FA Cup until the end of the season, and that means the Magpies will be hoping that Saint-Maximin stays injury-free up until then.
In other Newcastle news, Bruce has also had his say on one of his biggest concerns at present…
