Trip hazard
Toon to lose Trippier for six weeks with broken foot
NEWCASTLE will be without influential January signing Kieran Trippier for an extended period with a broken foot, although he is expected to return before the end of the season.
The loss is a significant blow for manager Eddie Howe, whose side have collected 10 points from four matches since the full back’s arrival for £12million from Atletico Madrid last month.
Trippier had scored what proved to be the only goal against Aston Villa on Sunday when he was forced off early in the second half after receiving a stamp on his left foot.
An X-ray showed damage to his fifth metatarsal, as revealed by MailOnline yesterday morning.
Trippier is now set for surgery and only then will the club’s medical staff put a proper timescale on his return.
The good news for Howe is that he should feature again this season. As long as there are no complications, players have returned from this type of injury in around six weeks.
But to be without Trippier for a crucial run of fixtures against West Ham, Brentford and Brighton in the coming weeks will be of concern to Howe given the impact he has made.
He identified the England defender as his top target ahead of the January transfer window and supporters and team-mates have immediately taken to the former Tottenham and Burnley star.
Fellow signing Dan Burn said: ‘Tripps is a different level of quality that we probably haven’t had here for a long time.
‘He’s won La Liga, he’s a regular England international and he shows it. The lads feed off him.’
Trippier scored his first goal for the club with a late free-kick to seal last Tuesday’s crucial 3-1 win over Everton.
He then followed that up with another deadball effort against Villa, making it three victories on the spin to move Newcastle four points clear of the relegation zone.
The 31-year-old was captain in the absence of Jamaal Lascelles on Sunday and club legend Alan Shearer has already spoken of him becoming a long-term skipper.
Javier Manquillo is Trippier’s likely deputy, with Howe hoping the ankle injury that also saw the Spaniard substituted at the weekend is not too serious.
Meanwhile, Sportsmail understands the door remains open for Newcastle winger Ryan Fraser with Scotland, despite the controversy surrounding his withdrawal from their squad in November.
Boss Steve Clarke was unhappy when the 27-year-old was pictured training on the first day of Howe’s reign, in the same week he should have been with the Tartan Army for World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Denmark.
It led to talk of him not being considered for Scotland internationals under Clarke.
However, that is not the case and Clarke and his assistant John Carver checked on Fraser and Villa’s John McGinn at St James’ Park on Sunday.
The Newcastle man, who has been in excellent form under Howe, outshone his compatriot and will be considered for Scotland’s World Cup play-off at home to Ukraine next month.