‘Massive pluses’: Jermaine Jenas admits two Newcastle fringe players are absolutely ‘brilliant’

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Former Newcastle United midfielder Jermaine Jenas has picked out two Toon players who deserve praise for their recent efforts in black and white.

Eddie Howe‘s squad is stretched right now, with injuries mounting up. The latest to be ruled out is Dan Burn, who is going to be out of action for the next few months with a back problem.

That is a huge blow, as Burn has virtually been an ever-present this season. The only two games he has not started have been Newcastle‘s Carabao Cup wins over Manchester City and Manchester United.

But he is now going to be on the sidelines, which will force Howe to make a change to his defence. That could lead to more opportunities for summer signings Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall, who impressed Jermaine Jenas last week.

Jenas praises Newcastle duo Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall

Jenas has spoke to TNT Sports about Livramento and Hall, and believes they have given Newcastle greater depth.

I thought the other day [against Man United], two massive pluses: Livramento coming in and playing the way he did, and Lewis Hall,” he said.

“[Both are] brilliant players. They add a lot of depth to the team as well.”

Newcastle youngsters set for more minutes

As Jenas says, both Livramento and Hall were excellent against Man United. The former’s assist for Miggy Almiron was sublime, as was the latter’s volley as he scored his first ever senior goal.

They proved at Old Trafford that they can have a role in the present as well as the future, and that will likely be put to the test even more now that Burn is injured.

Howe is going to have to play his summer signings more, with Livramento the favourite to come into the side and take Burn’s place. But Hall will likely get more minutes too, having only really featured in the League Cup since his move from Chelsea to Newcastle.

They are both brilliant players who have incredibly bright futures on Tyneside, but we are going to need them to shine right now as Newcastle’s injuries mount up.