Newcastle United duo Martin Dubravka and Fabian Schar are serious doubts for this weekend’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur. The Magpies’ 16-day hiatus from action comes to an end on Sunday as Eddie Howe takes his side to North London following a short stint training in Dubai.
Jonjo Shelvey missed the defeats to Chelsea and Everton due to illness but was pictured smiling in the Middle East and is expected to return against Spurs. Federico Fernandez - who has not played since the 1-0 win against Burnley in December - is also back in contention following a side strain. Chronicle Live has profiled how the treatment table looks at St James’ Park and when each player should be back in action…
Martin Dubravka - Illness
Newcastle’s undisputed number one missed Slovakia's friendly against Norway with an illness. Alarming reports suggested Dubravka had been diagnosed with angina - a chest condition that causes pain and reduces blood flow to the heart. However, those claims have since been refuted, with international boss Stefan Tarkovic confirming he was omitted due to illness.
The 33-year-old will return to Newcastle and prepare for the Spurs game but it is unclear whether he is well enough to start.
Fabian Schar - Abductor
Schar is another Magpies player who picked up a knock on international duty. The Swiss defender was set to face England at Wembley but dropped out of the squad with an abductor injury. The pullout is understood to be precautionary but he still faces a race against time to be fit for the trip to Spurs.
The 30-year-old has started all but one - the 4-0 defeat to Man City in December - of Howe’s 19 games as Newcastle manager.
Kieran Trippier - Metatarsal
Trippier looked a class above before breaking a metatarsal in the 1-0 win against Aston Villa. Pessimistic Toon fans feared the worst but reports suggest the England right-back is eyeing up an April return.
The 31-year-old is back in light training and travelled out with the squad for the Dubai trip. This weekend comes too soon for Trippier but a realistic target could be Newcastle’s game against Norwich on April 23.
Callum Wilson - Calf
Forgotten man Wilson has been out of action since suffering a torn calf against Manchester United on December 27. At the time, a long-term injury to the number nine appeared catastrophic but the Magpies have coped well in his absence.
Howe expects Trippier to be back before Wilson and has previously said the striker will be out until ‘the final few games’ of the season, meaning the end of April / start of May appears achievable. Like Trippier, he is also in Dubai and has returned to light training in the gym.
Isaac Hayden - Knee
Hayden is out for the rest of the campaign with a knee injury. The severity of the injury forced Howe to omit the defensive midfielder from his 25-man squad and the emergence of Bruno Guimaraes has plunged his future into doubt. If Hayden is seen in a Newcastle shirt again, it will not be this season.
Jamal Lewis - Groin
Similar to Hayden, Lewis is also not part of the 25-man squad so his injury bears little relevance to the Magpies’ end-of-season hopes. The Northern Ireland international has used his extended break to undergo surgery in Germany for a long-term groin problem.
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