Newcastle United have been dealt an early-season injury blow with captain Dan Burn expected to miss another five matches, while striker Will Osula is also being assessed after suffering an issue against Liverpool.
Burn missed Sunday's dramatic 2-2 draw with Liverpool after rolling his ankle in training and was later seen at St James' Park on crutches and wearing a protective boot.
Head coach Matthias Jaissle has played down fears of a serious long-term problem, but Newcastle could still be without their captain for several weeks.
Dan Burn facing five games out
Burn suffered the injury in training during the build-up to Newcastle's Premier League opener.
“If Dan is clear, he will be out for a couple of weeks,” Jaissle said after the Liverpool game.
“How long exactly, that will be decided, but for sure our medical department is excellent, so he will be back on the grass as fast as possible.”
Reports suggest the 34-year-old could now remain sidelined until after the upcoming international period.
If that timeline proves accurate, Burn could miss five Newcastle matches.
Those fixtures include the Carabao Cup meeting with West Bromwich Albion and Premier League games against Tottenham, Bournemouth, Leeds United and Hull City.
Will Osula injury adds to Newcastle concern
Newcastle also have an injury concern surrounding Will Osula.
The Danish striker started against Liverpool and produced an encouraging performance, setting up Anthony Elanga for Newcastle's opening goal.
However, Osula was forced off early in the second half and replaced by Joe Willock, who scored almost immediately to restore Newcastle's lead.
Jaissle confirmed afterwards that further assessment would be required.
“With Will, we need to see,” he said. “Hopefully not that serious, and he can be back as soon as possible as well.”
Jaissle offers encouraging Osula update
Despite the concern, Jaissle's initial assessment provided some encouragement.
“For now it looks quite good, but we need to see and check him,” the Newcastle boss explained.
That leaves Osula's exact recovery timeframe unclear for now.
Any significant absence would be particularly frustrating after the youngster's impressive contribution against Liverpool and would create another attacking headache for Jaissle.
Key Points
- Newcastle captain Dan Burn injured his ankle in training and missed the Liverpool draw.
- Burn could now miss another five matches before returning to action.
- Will Osula was forced off during the second half against Liverpool and requires further assessment.
- Jaissle said the initial signs surrounding Osula are encouraging.
- Newcastle face Tottenham, Bournemouth, Leeds and Hull among their upcoming league fixtures.
What’s Next?
Newcastle will hope further examinations bring positive news on Osula, particularly after his encouraging start to the season.
Burn's absence is more clearly defined and leaves Jaissle preparing for several matches without his captain.
The priority now will be getting both players back quickly without risking further setbacks during a demanding opening period of the campaign.
How big a blow would losing both Dan Burn and Will Osula be for Newcastle?
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