Robins have robbed us of star duo

TALK about getting poked in the eye with a mucky stick. TWICE!

Rafa’s attempt to make progress in the League Cup has boomeranged spectacularly on him with both his centreforwards Dwight Gayle and Alexsandar Mitrovic ruled out of Newcastle’s crucial promotion match with Brighton after suffering concussion.

I wonder what Mike Ashley thinks?

He used to admit openly the domestic cups did not matter a jot when he was only interested in protecting his Premier League cash.

Now, when leaving out players because of the desperate need to go back up would be acceptable to fans, all concerned receive a double whammy.

Of all matches for Gayle and Mitrovic to be unavailable this is by far the most crucial.

It was the game when they were supposed to come together in tandem after Mitrovic’s fourmatch suspension, so to have neither is an unexpected setback.

The answer could be for Rafa to go with two-goal hero Ayoze Perez of the Bandaged Head brigade and Mo Diame as his little and large - and put Adam Armstrong on the bench.

If ever a kid got the message he may as well go back out on loan it was Armstrong when he could not even make the 18 against League Two Cheltenham on Tuesday night.

Now he may just see a chink of light at the end of a long tunnel.

Of course, United’s two bighitters will only miss a single game so all would be riding on one afternoon.

Mind you, Rafa shocks us so regularly with his team selections he could boldly go for his favourite player Vurnon Anita as the No.9 because of his aerial prowess and muscle!

Whatever path United’s boss takes it has to work because United cannot afford to lose any more ground after their shock start to the campaign. What must Mike Ashley think of the cup injuries?