Oh No: Eddie Howe shows bitter regret for not getting Guehi’s deal done after first team ACE defender pick up MAJOR injury blow.
Newcastle United may be facing the consequences of spending a significant portion of the summer transfer window focused on a single target, a decision that could already be coming back to haunt them.
Throughout August, it was repeatedly suggested that Marc Guehi was on the verge of joining Newcastle. However, it appears Crystal Palace co-owner Steve Parish was merely stringing Newcastle along, possibly as a form of revenge for the Magpies’ earlier attempts to unsettle Palace’s director of football, Dougie Freedman.
Palace ultimately waited until deadline day to officially call off the deal, leaving Newcastle with no time to secure a replacement.
Newcastle had already suffered a setback when their right-sided center-back, Fabian Schar, was shown a straight red card in the opening game, resulting in a three-match ban.
Emil Krafth, who filled in for the suspended Schar, did well in the unfamiliar role despite being a right-back. However, Krafth picked up an injury during Sunday’s match against Tottenham Hotspur and will miss Sweden’s upcoming international fixtures.
Fortunately for Newcastle, Schar has now served his suspension and will be available for Eddie Howe on September 15th when they face Wolves, but the situation could have been far worse.
This incident serves as a stark warning of what could happen this season if Newcastle fails to strengthen key positions.
Krafth managed to play the full 90 minutes on Sunday, so there’s hope that his injury isn’t too serious, and he’ll be fit by the time the Premier League resumes.